We’ve finally made it to the end of January, and we can
officially start the countdown to spring! With only 48 days of winter left,
it’s time for us to start planning our gardens, which is one of my favorite
winter activities. If you’ve read my blog or social media posts, you know I
love flowers. I’m a cottage garden girl all the way! I lost a few plants last
year including one of my oldest Peonies to some sort of infestation, so this
book Attracting Beneficial Bugs to your Garden has come at a perfect time for
me. I’ve been studying it on chilly winter nights and taking notes during my
lunch breaks to better prepare myself for the gardening year ahead. Read on to
learn more about gardening bugs (the good and the bad) and enter to win our
first giveaway of the year!
Spring Is Coming!
My Thanks to Quarto Knows Publishing for the complimentary
books highlighted in today's post and for hosting our giveaway. No other
compensation given. All opinions and love of books are my own.
“Attracting
Beneficial Bugs to your garden is an indispensable reference book, now updated
with new research insights and voices to help us learn how to create a healthy,
balanced, and diverse garden capable of supporting an industrious crew of
beneficial pest eating insects and eliminate the need for synthetic chemical
pesticides.”
I was
excited to receive the revised and updated second addition of Attracting
Beneficial Bugs to your Garden, because it teaches a natural approach to pest
control that I really need. I tend to leave most bugs alone, especially in my
front flower beds, because I don’t like to kill bugs, led to a host of problems
last year. I’m hopeful that this book will help me (and you!) discover how to
recognize good bugs and keep them happy in our gardens so they can deter the
bad bugs.
What this book covers:
- Bug profiles introducing us to dozens of beneficial insects
- How beneficial bugs catch and eat their prey
- Plant profiles featuring the best plants to support the beneficials
- Interviews with Entomologists who focus their life’s work on understanding the value of insects
- Inspiring look at how plants and insects intersect in the most incredible ways
- Why gardening for bugs is just as important to the greater world as it is your garden
- Tips for creating insectary plantings and borders to support a broad range of beneficials
About the Author: Jessica Walliser:
Jessica Walliser is a horticulturist and award-winning author of seven gardening books. She’s co-founder of the popular website savvygardening.com and two-time winner of the prestigious American Horticultural Society Book Award for her several of her books. All this to say, if anybody can help me turn around my gardening bug woes, it’s her!
My Thoughts:
This book
really is a gardening reference book, so don’t feel like you have to read it
page by page. I’ve been flipping through it finding nuggets of helpful
knowledge along the way. One of the best resources is the handy chart in the
back of the book that helps us put it all together. For instance, we have a ladybug
problem in the fall. They were everywhere!
The chart covers
ladybugs like this- Beneficial Insects: Lady bugs:
"Some pests they consume: Aphids, asparagus beetle larvae, Colorado potato beetle larvae, lace bugs, mealybugs, bean beetle larvae, scale, spider mites, psyllids, adelgids, caterpillars, white lilies and eggs, larvae, and other pests. Both adult and larval ladybugs consume pests, but adults also need nectar and pollen."
Plants that support them:
- Anise
- Baccharis
- Boltania
- Boneset
- Chamomile
- Cinquefoil
- Coriander
- Cosmos
- Daises
- Goldenrod
There’s more on the reference chart. Now I
know it’s a good thing I have lady bugs in my garden and yard, but I also
realize I need to plant more fall blooming plants for them to thrive.
The Takeaway:
That’s the beauty of this garden reference book. I was able to call to mind a time last fall when I didn’t understand why I was overrun by lady bugs in the back of our house flowerbeds, research what the author suggests and plan my garden plantings accordingly.
This book has opened up a whole new way of gardening to
me. I’ll no longer look at a flower shrub or plant and pick it for it’s color or
scent, (although those are key elements of gardening to me), I’ll also see what
type of beneficial bugs I’d be inviting to my garden if I choose to plant them.
Which will also help me better cultivate my flower beds and garden around our
home.
Win It:
Thanks to
today’s sponsor, Quarto Knows Publishing, one lucky
reader will receive a paperback copy of Attracting Beneficial Bugs to your
Garden.
If you would
like to purchase either of these books now instead of waiting to see if you won
my giveaway, visit Quarto Knows Publishing here and search for gardening books.
Terms:
No
purchase is necessary to enter using the Rafflecopter form below. My WAHM Plan
is not responsible for prize fulfillment, sponsor is. Winners will be notified
by email used on entry form and have 48 hours to respond or
another winner will be chosen. This giveaway is not associated with nor
endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, or any other social channel.
Good Luck!
Rafflecopter selected Winner: Jeffrey R.
Please share in comments: If you win, will you keep this book or gift it?
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