Dancing in the Rain, more ladybirds and Nigella

A warm rain shower inspired our little one to become one with nature, she danced for nearly an hour.

Most days you can find one of us peering at our maple.  First it was a mass of aphids.  Then there were lady bird eggs. Then we watched the ladybird larvae emerge and grow, leaving their shed skins behind them. Finally the much anticipated lady bird pupa have arrived

I'm not sure if something very unladylike like is happening here. It looks like the larvae is eating the pupa, gasp.

 There are also masses of larvae around but not many aphids left for them to eat. 

I've moved some larvae to the cherry tree where they seem to be helping, they're great at getting to those spots you can't reach.  I tried a soap spray but this had little effect on the aphids on my cherry, they seem tougher than your average aphid, with a black shiny coat. I've also brought some badly affected cherry leaves up to the maple.  It's amazing how quickly they cover the aphid infested leaves. 

 Nibbling on sweet alpine strawberries.

 Smelling Mock Orange 

Admiring the masses of Love in the Mist, this one with welcome guests, it is a little weedy but I do love it. Spent a significant part of the weekend pulling it out of a friend's garden who is not so enamoured with its charms. Has anyone heard of the seed being edible?

Found this on Wikipedia

"Nigella sativa (and not N. damascena) is the source of the spice variously known as nigella, kalonji or black cumin".

More interesting facts on Nigella here - http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/nigella.html

Chinese Gooseberry and Cherries under Siege

These little fellows turned up last year on my Chinese Gooseberries toward the end of the harvest.  This year they are back with a vengeance, with no obvious predators around to eat them.  Normally I like to leave my pests alone and hope they don't do too much damage before their enemies arrive, this technique has worked perfectly for my aphid infested maple which has been cured of its sap sucking varmints by a swarm of ladybird larvae. 

 

Unfortunately these 3 lined Potato Beetles are ravenous beasts that nearly killed my plant last year, and have already destroyed a great deal of developing fruit this year. Little Bowerbird helped me pluck and dispose of all we could see - which was many - in a jar of soapy water, but they are back again in serious numbers the following day. Fortunately little one is a keen pest controller, relishing in the crunch of snail underfoot and the farewell plop of a beetle. Anyone know any other organic control methods?  

    

  My running mutato.

 Why you should not plant carrots as seedlings.

 Hairy carrots, we have had a spate of these masculine fellows.

 Tasty perfect baby carrots, middle one plucked some pretty classy larger ones for dinner tonight when he refused to eat any of the vegetables in our stir fry. I am in awe of those perfect supermarket carrots at $1.50 a bag - how is it so?

 There are lots of cherries on our two year old tree but they are also under serious attack.  They are covered in black aphids.  Isn't it amazing what can happen when you turn your back from the garden for a few days? The odd ladybird was spotted doing their best, but they were losing the battle, and I've sprayed them with soapy water and removed the worst affected seriously distorted leaves.  The aphids have taken a liking to all the new tip growth so the cherry has had an  early prune. Some of the aphids ended up in our praying mantis house and were gobbled up amazingly fast.

 

 

What Spring pests are wreaking havoc in your garden?

Ladybirds, Aphids and Nature

   Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood-Lady Bird

We are overrun with aphids.  All over the roses, which you would expect, but they're not stopping there.  Surprisingly, the Japanese Maple is covered in them.  I've never noticed this happen before, but perhaps it has and I just hadn't observed it.  I spied a maple tree a whole town away under siege as well.

 Fortunately there is someone to the rescue.

 In her red and black cape. Sipping nectar.

 Making friends.

   Munching  

and multiplying. Leaving her eggs behind all over the place.  I spied many young ladybirds gathered in groups today. Planning there attack I dare say.

 The little ones are loving the appearance of these pretty critters.  We might try keeping a few to watch their freaky life cycle.

On keeping ladybugs in your garden

We already have a critter we're keeping a close eye on, but that's for another post.

    We love Miniscule, beware if you look up lady bird on You Tube you can be entertained for hours!

For more on my love of lady birds checkout this post on Alexander Beetle.

We're linking up with 1000 Homes of Happiness 'Nature' theme this week.  I'm a nature nut.  All the best stuff happens out there.