Wordless Wednesday: a July garden
13 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in Flowers, organic gardening, Photography, Vegetable/ Herb Garden Tags: anna apple tree, garden photos, nadia's san diego garden blog, organic flower gardening, topsy turvy pepper planter, zinnia flowers
Friday Photo in the Garden
21 May 2010 6 Comments
in Flowers, Living Healthy, Photography Tags: gardening quote, nadia's san diego garden blog, organic flower gardening, Purple Queen Contessa Flower
Friday Morning Photo:
Morning mist on a Purple Queen Contessa flower this week.
“Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas.” E. Murray
Lucky Ladybugs
12 May 2010 5 Comments
in Flowers, Garden Projects, Living Healthy, Vegetable/ Herb Garden Tags: ladybugs, nadia san diego garden blog, organic flower gardening, organic gardening, organic pesticide
Ladybug Ladybug fly away home... remember that nursery rhyme? Ladybugs are synonymous with good luck and growing up I would be elated if one landed on my shoulder so I could make a wish before it flew away. This is my first year growing roses after a 10 years hiatus, living near the coast with the wet and lingering morning fog has always made growing roses very difficult. In April at the onset of blooming I noticed my rose bushes were covered with aphids and no ants in sight (usually ants are a sign of an aphid problem). Before giving the rose bushes away out of frustration I decided to purchase one of those containers of ladybugs that are always at the checkout stand of local nurseries with hundreds of ladybugs peering through the screened lid. The employee at the nursery gave me some good tips for a successful ladybug release.
Ladybugs
Placing ladybugs out in the evening and misting the area first to moisten their environment keeps them from flying away. Another trick I learned was that by placing the ladybugs in the refrigerator for 15 minutes prior to releasing them keeps them from flying away too quickly. I followed all these directions and the next morning the ladybugs were busy doing what they do best getting rid of pests. It has been three weeks since I tried out this little experiment and there are still NO APHIDS in sight. My rose bushes are squeaky clean and beautiful. I am now a true believer and a ladybug convert, spending the $8.00 on a container of a few hundred ladybugs was well worth it. Many of them have stayed in my garden and moved on to other plants.
The best part – it’s all organic. No pesticides, no chemicals, no sprays. Organic gardening keeps the good bugs happily living in the garden while getting rid of the unwanted pests.
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* Lady bug, lady bird, lady beetle are all common names for the ladybug.
* Voracious pest eaters-a favorite of farmers.
* Most all cultures consider the lady bug to be good luck.
* online site to purchase ladybugs… Or get them at Armstrong Nursery.
Thank you for visiting my garden blog: http://www.nadiaknows.com
♥ Plant- Grow- Enjoy ♥
Bridal Veil- An Exotic Annual
07 May 2010 1 Comment
in Flowers, Garden Design Tags: dried flowers, nadia's san diego garden blog, organic flower gardening, White Nigella annual
Bridal Veil is the common name for this amazing annual Nigella papillosa (N. hispanica). This description in yellow with green outline comes straight from Renee’s Seeds web site and describes this flower perfectly. I was looking for an exotic flower that could be used in a dried floral arrangement and this is one flower that was recommended. I’ve expanded my garden this year beyond vegetables with more fruit trees in containers and flower gardening, both of which are now a permanent part of my garden design.
White Nigella "Bridal Veil" annual flowers
