Some of my favorite mixed garden companions that have not already been discussed (I think): 1. Seseli gummiferum. Much like Campanula, I love umbellifers. But unlike Campanula, I seem to live in climate that most umbellifers despise. I have had very limited success with Angelica gigas, Chaerophyllum hirsutum 'Roseum' and Pimpinella major 'Rosea'. This year, I got maybe 1-2 weeks of bloom from each of them during a milder than normal summer. After bloom, they just faded into the background and looked weedy--far removed from the romantic cottage garden effect I had in mind! Other umbellifers I have tried just died without explanation or were eaten by rabbits. Seseli gummiferum, however, has striking waxy glaucous foliage and stayed in prime bloom for a good 6-7 weeks, followed by seed heads which were almost as attractive as the blooms. It seemed to thrive is my sandy loam soil. I loved it this year and so did the hover flies! 2. Crambe maritima. Another star performer that requires absolutely no care or maintenance other than a good full plant chop after blooming in early summer. Striking, handsome, architectural glaucous leaves and lovely full heads of white flowers with a wafting honey fragrance. 3. Hardy geraniums. Many people have already mentioned them, yes, but I want to mention a few others. 'Rozanne' is exquisite and I have at least 20 of them in various places throughout my tiny garden (!) but many others are just as worthy. Geranium soboliferum 'Butterfly Kisses' is a wonderful fall bloomer that started producing its starry magenta blooms in early September and is still going strong now. 'Blue Sunrise' has gorgeous chartreuse/yellow new growth and was in stunning full bloom from late May to late July this year. 'Tiny Monster' and 'Nimbus' have been blooming off and on from late May until now. 'Derek Cook', a selection of Geranium himalayense, produces huge, striking white blooms with lavender veins from late spring to midsummer. 'Eureka Blue' and 'Orion' are both exquisite and vigorous with huge blooms that are much "bluer" than 'Rozanne' in high temperatures. 'Blue Cloud', much like its name implies, produces clouds of amazing pale blue blooms that stand out in the garden and contrasts nicely with the blue shades of other geraniums. Geranium erianthum bloomed continuously from early June through mid August. Geranium maculatum 'Elizabeth Ann' has striking irridescent bronze foliage and wonderful lilac-pink blooms for a good month in late spring. I am itching to get my hands on 'Lilac Ice', a stunning lilac-white sport of 'Rozanne'. 4. Calamintha nepeta. One of my absolute favorites. About 12-18 inches tall with a spreading growth habit, it starts blooming here in July and soon becomes a never-ending frothy cloud of white blooms (that have a lavender tinged when viewed up close). Mine are still blooming now. Absolutely loved by bees and other pollinators. 5. Pycnanthemum. So far, my favorite is Pycnanthemum muticum with its ornamental silvery-grey flower bracts from July till now. Rumor has it that it can sometimes spread vigorously (it is in the mint family), but so far it has been well behaved for me. In any case, it has shallow roots and is easily pulled up, ripped out, transplanted, etc. I grow several other species and all are nice, with varying heights, blooms seasons, and very different foliage textures. The tiny whitish flowers attract a greater variety and quantity of happy pollinators and beneficial insects than I have ever seen in my life! 6. Agastache. 'Blue Fortune' and 'Golden Jubilee' are lovely and wonderful for bees and other pollinators. I grow both and love them. But I want to put in a good word for the hybrid agastaches from High Country Gardens. 'Blue Blazes' has been a stunning plant in my garden, huge and everblooming with gigantic bracts of blue-lavender blooms that glow when backlit by the sun. Bumblebees adore it and it easily survived last year's harsh winter with no snow cover and countless freeze-thaw cycles. 'Ava' and 'Desert Sunrise' also appear to be excellent, but are not yet mature in my garden. 7. Daylilies. I used to be a snob and say things like "Daylilies are too common and I will never grow them in my garden." Ha! The joke was on me. In my extreme ignorance, I did not realize the vast amount of daylilies available, how much hybridizers have improved them during the past 20 years and how many of them are now truly architectural, showpiece plants. While I still find those with round/frilly/flouncy flowers to be a bit twee and boring (sorry, just an opinion..no offense intended), the spidery/unusual flowered types are gorgeous and many people--gardeners included--don't even recognize them as daylilies. Great strides have been made in selecting for improved foliage habits as well. Check out the websites for Woodhenge Gardens and Heavenly Gardens for a mindblowing education about contemporary hemerocallis. 8. Alliums. They have already been discussed by many people above, so I have nothing to add other than to say I love them and want to encourage other people to plant them. And don't overlook the rhizomatous types that bloom later in summer or fall with foliage that remains glossy and attractive all season. 'Millennium', 'Sugar Melt', A. nutans 'Pam Harper', A. thunbergii 'Ozawa' and A. tuberosum are particular favorites for me in this group (be sure to trim off spent flower heads of A. tuberosum if you do not want it to reseed). A. obliquum and the allium sold as "perennial leeks" by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange are two bulb alliums with stunning ornamental mid-summer blooms that are all but unknown among most gardeners...yet.

There are plenty of folks with extensive education that are unable to solve life problems or lead people. They cripple under the pressure. Some of the smartest people I know don't have degrees. Anyhow someone answered your question on your previous post. When JB mate they congregate on the west side of plants....doesn't matter what they are. Feeding is a different story. So mystery solved. No one sprayed your spruce for cripes sake, lol. Bayer Multi Insect Spray will kill them (adult beetles) on contact. They may not drop dead instantly but they will die pretty kick. I just had to spray my Cupressina spruces. They were loaded with ants, a sure sign of aphids. Sure enough those buggers where everywhere. I don't spray willy nilly but I do when I need too. I do have admit the whole hit the spruce with a broom and catch them with a sheet was a silly suggestion for a plant with razor sharp needles. http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pests/msg0612304310652.html?4

Catherinet is right -- I bet it's house sparrows. They will not only kill baby birds, they will trap adults (bluebirds and tree swallows) in a bird house and kill them before they make a nest. The house sparrow will then build their own nest on top of the dead body. Believe me, I've had it happen in my own yard. When we moved to the country we put up too many bird houses and the sparrows moved in. They are NOT protected, so do your best to kill the adults and eliminate their eggs because they will destroy your songbird population. You can do a google search to learn how to identify their nests and eggs so you can eliminate them. House wrens will fly into a birdhouse that has bluebird or tree sparrow eggs laid and will then use it's beak to pierce the eggs to destroy them. House wrens are a protected species, so you can't kill them but their nests are easy to identify because they fill bird houses with tiny sticks. Clean them out over and over and do your best to discourage them because they, too, will destroy your bluebird and tree sparrow populations.

Mazer, I find your bias statement confusing. It makes sense only if you mean bad behavior. And bad behavior is almost certainly caused by people. Whether on purpose or because they have no idea how to handle a dog. The differences in breeds was done to get the various built in characteristics. Those characteristics come with accompanying tendencies. Herding dogs herd, hunting dogs hunt, and so forth. To add to that, different dogs have different personalities. Two German Shepherds will have two entirely different reactions to the same stimuli. Some GSD's make wonderful police dogs and some do not. Of those who do not, some are too passive and others are too aggressive. When I worked for the vet, the breed that was the most apt to bite was the cocker spaniel. That is the only breed to have been successful in biting me---twice, six years apart and in two different cities. Not nips---that happened several times---I mean premeditated attacks, successful even when I was expecting that reaction. And the German bred GSD that flunked out of the police K-9 academy for being too aggressive, who would not let the family maid in the house unless penned, and who chased a painter up the ladder turned out to be quite friendly with me. That shows dogs are individuals, but bias does have merit.