Comments on: The best plants for beneficial insects

By: MB Whitcomb

Tue, 14 Aug 2018 03:48:51 +0000

LOL, the only reason that purple loosestrife is not worse is because no less than four predator insects were introduced to eat it. Often these attempts backfire in some way, but they do seem to be helping control this terrible wetland killing plant.

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By: Leila Oertel

Sun, 12 Aug 2018 18:07:24 +0000

In reply to MB Whitcomb.

Thank you. I agree. When I heard and further a blog on a popular radio gardening site recommend loosestrife, I wrote to him with your same comment. His reply distressed me. He essentially said that it isn’t all that bad and I was being overly cautious. Well, that ended my time with his blog.

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By: MB Whitcomb

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 13:38:22 +0000

Agreed on picking natives. Introduced angelica species here in Cape Breton have hybridized with our native A. sylvestris and created a superweed that is overwhelming native plant populations. See the You Tube Lectures by Doug Tallamy for the hard (and eye-opening) research on the importance of natives. Note: I am not an “all natives” person, but the problem of invasive species is very bad in some areas and some groups are dismissively recommending planting of plants that may benefit people in the short term but can cause great harm. I have seen this idea in permaculture, and it distresses me because permaculture is encouraging people to garden who have never gardened before and who may cause a “green explosion” before they understand what the ramifications are. Written by a person who would rather be gardening than fighting plants.

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By: Jessica Walliser

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 14:09:25 +0000

In reply to mikethegardener.

Thanks, Mike! That’s high praise! 🙂 The bugs thank you and we do too!

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By: mikethegardener

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 13:12:19 +0000

Thank you! This, including the post on not doing intensive “fall cleanup” may be the most universally useful blog post I’ve ever read. Perhaps one more thing to emphasize might be the importance of sticking to as many native plants as possible.

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