What's with all the double posts? GW is having problems. I tried signing in Mon and Tues. Got error messages, and one message asking if I was sure I wanted to go to.......... Strange. Teen, why did you ask if I wanted PM to control insects? Purple, several months ago, I Googled PM. Several sites suggested these cuties would rid bad insects, and healther for the environment. I checked Ebay, but there weren't any eggs/cases available. Guess they weren't being sold because of the season. Organic gardeners use beneficial insects instead of insecticides...besides ladybugs, mantis were mentioned. And they are cute..:) Can Anole's live inside? If not, our winters would kill them. What I was told about mantis, 'not from a seller,' is adults die but their eggs survive the cold. The woman I talked to on the phone this morning used to work in a plant store. She found two mantis at work, brought them home..she said, the following year they had babies galore.. She lives in IL, too. If mantis eat ants, they'll live happily ever after. The town is loaded w/ants. They're everywhere. For a while we didn't see many, 'walking Coco,' but since the temps increased, THEY'RE BACK! There's all types of insects they can devour here. Anyway, after browsing Ebay earlier, I found a seller that sends 2 or 3 cases and 100 free ladybugs. :) 9.99. I started this post around 4pm. Dh came home, I had to make dinner, ate, washed dishes, fed Sparkle, Cricket and Coco...it's now 6:16pm. Sheesh. Purp, even if PM don't do the job I expect, they're adorable to look at. And I'll be a proud mama..... Hi Karen. Since Jan/Feb, I've gone through half a dozen gallon, vinegar containers..Heck, I even wash floors w/vinegar..lol. I clean kitchen counters, fridge, stove, bathrooms, computer screen and TV's w/vinegar. The entire house smells like salad. Dh hates it..lol. DS said it reminds him of a Chinese food dish he orders. Yesterday, while watching a show on tv, there was a commercial about a book that's out..how to kill pests organically...that's not the name of the book... They displayed a 1-800 number on the bottom of the tv screen to order the book. If an order was placed within 10-mins of the commercial, a second book was included..how to rid larger pests like squirrels, rabbits, etc. During one scene, they showed a woman drawing a circle on the floor, using chalk, around a dog bowl. Ants won't walk past a line..Strange, huh? But, most of the info can be found online for free. BTW, I started out using 50/50% vinegar and water, now I use it full strength. Vinegar kills ants on contact. Rhizo. I won't keep a mantis inside...Some sites talk about keeping mantis as pets, lol, but unless they're fed properly, I can't imagine the poor little guys living long, let alone laying eggs. About the species. There are three varieties sold on Ebay. Chinese, European and Carolina. There might be others... The company I ordered from is located in MN, but they order eggs..'by professionals,' lol. Rhizo, Terro works great..every so often a stray ant walks across the floor. Since you use Terro baits, have you ever noticed deformed strays? They're disgusting! Some look like they have two heads..oh gross. Seeing this ants is one reason I don't like using chemicals. Heck, seeing them sure doesn't make it easier. And they spray fresh food with similiar crap. I've got the weather channel on..To those who live in AR and OK, please be safe.

ohhh I don't have it in me to build a wall like that. but can tell you that if you build a lasagna bed it will be so rich in organics that water will not shed off the top of it. Just started another one with kitchen scraps, peat, topsoil, cardboard, shredded newspapers and old bills ( take out the gummy parts, labels and stamps) at the top of a 150 ft hill with about a 45 degree slope. This is wild area so I dragged a felled tree to anchor the bottom of the bed - also prevents long term runoff by trapping leaves. I don't know what I'm going to plant there but it has to be completely deer proof - maybe Solomons Seal

Thanks for the information Leafhead. Great amount of damage and no natural enemies is not a good picture. I looked up what their damage looks like and that's exactly how the leaves on my roses can look mid summer. I check the rose and night blooming jasmine leaves and I can never find anything. My Rose of Sharon bush is next to the roses and has stayed okay. Leafhead, have you ever tried or had any luck with diatomacious (sp?) earth? I tried it on ants and it didn't phase them. I threw it all over the navel orange tree, and I think it did slow the problems down. It might be worth trying. So unfortunate that world commerce has spread so many foreign invading species around the globe, harming natural habitats, our agriculture and gardening! My milkweed leaves have several different insects right now I think partly because there is not much other tender new plant growth around this time of year. I pushed my MW growth by cutting it back and fertilizing heavily-just to guarantee a food supply for all the late eggs being deposited-a serious problem-hard to pretend they aren't out there (for me). The second instars are TOO cute! Am still finding a few eggs and first and second instars daily! (help) I'm worried about running out of MW for the 30 Monarch larvae in the house. Without the black mildew (or mold?) and insects on the MW it wouldn't have been a problem. Next year I'll grow potted milkweed in the house for back-up. Then no worries about bugs, mold, cold temps at night, OE, etc. I'm thinking about covering the plants at night--I see the cold night-time temps are beginning to slow new growth. Had I never let that "weed" go into seed a few years back ...... :)

I'm crazy about lace, but can't stand most pinks. Looks like JR is on my wish list anyway. It's very striking. That lace looks so thick that it would have difficulties opening. All the photos you've posted are beautiful. Thank-you for sharing them. Brock