The Community Garden

Wherever you live—whether in an urban or suburban area, or a more rural location—you might want to consider joining a community garden initiative. In addition to the companionship and the shared interests, fellow gardeners can give you great advice, as well as share resources. Someone may very well offer to water for you, if you are out of town for a weekend, or even for a few weeks during the peak summer months. One of my favourite gardening experiences was tending two plots at a community garden set up on some vacant land near the apartment building where we once lived. In addition to the shared tools and the lush and inspiring surroundings, many of the other gardeners had tips for us. Since we were just starting out, we loved the community garden for the practical examples we could learn from. If we weren’t quite sure how to discourage slugs, or how far back to prune, or how to set up a net or trellis for the peas to cling to, there certainly would be someone at the garden to share a few ideas with us. Also, at harvest time, there is usually extra bounty to go around, so that you get the bonus of fresh fruit and vegetables in season, without having to do all the work yourself.

A community garden is of course usually larger than what most of us could manage alone, and in many areas, community garden plots make use of neglected or formerly abandoned land, so that the presence of the garden is often, in and of itself, a gift back to the community. At our community garden, the area was surrounded by tall apartment buildings. For some reason one large block had not been built up, and this is where the garden had been thriving, for decades already, by the time we joined. The garden attracted small creatures—squirrels, and birds, and insects—and several trees had been planted near benches, which were appreciated by people who lived nearby, who came to read or just to sit and relax. The benches were also appreciated by the gardeners themselves, who sometimes needed a short break from all that kneeling and digging! Some garden initiatives aim to give back to the community in an additional way, by donating some of the harvest to local soup kitchens.

One thing to be aware of when starting a garden on an abandoned site, or on land that was once put to industrial use, is that sometimes residual materials and chemicals can still be present in the earth. If you have any doubts, have a sample of the earth checked , so that you can feel safe eating the foods grown on that plot of land.

Garden Use and Structures to Match

When you sit down to sketch out your plans for your garden, it is a good idea to switch from thinking only about what things will look like, to the functions and usage of the space you have to work with. It is easy to get far into planning the specifics, without having stepped back far enough to think of simple additions or structural changes you might need to carry out before you begin browsing seed catalogues and gathering materials and plants at your local nursery. Do you want a pathway so that you can access all of the flowerbeds, for example? Do you want a bench so that visitors to the garden might sit and relax for a while? Do you love running water, and if so would you consider a pond and fountain, or else a freestanding fountain, or even a birdbath? If you have hot summers, do you have the space (on the ground, between plants, as well as free space above) to plant trees or shrubbery that would provide shade?

A pole, with hoists for birdfeeders and containers for suet would be a good choice for gardeners who want to attract birds to their garden. Outdoor statues made of natural or manufactured materials are also natural additions to a garden, but may need a spot reserved specifically for them, depending on their form and size. Fencing is also important to consider at the very beginning: what kind of access will you have to your garden, and who will be regularly coming through the space, or visiting it occasionally? Water gardens are beautiful, but may pose a danger to young children, if there won’t be adult supervision in the area. If you have pets or a few curious creatures who sometimes visit—rabbits or deer, for example—then you may have to plan the edible part of your garden accordingly. Placing your compost heap in a good spot is also important—it is best if it is out of the way, though still accessible; and although most don’t actually smell as much or as offensively as you might think, it is probably best not to set one up right next to a neighbour’s favourite outdoor lounge chair right near the property line.

If you are like me, you may sometimes want to just dig right in, literally, and organize your garden as you go—extending a bed here, planting a few new things there. However, there is nothing as annoying as realizing that something is in totally the wrong spot. A little planning based on your intended—and ideal—use of the area will save you time and lots of hassle, eventually. No one really wants to dig up a flower bed to make room for a pool, or a deck—nor do they want to have to rip up a fence or other major structure and be stuck with the hassle of relocating it somewhere else. Finally, it is important to remember that many gardens are shared spaces, and that the use of the space may change over time.

Hearty Choices for the Starter Vegetable Garden

If you are like me, you will probably want a continual harvest over the summer months, with a variety of vegetables ripening and ready for your use, at any given time. Once you know your climatic zone and spend some time thinking about the local conditions and variations based on where you live, you can start thinking about the vegetables you want to plant. Check the length of time it takes for each plant to grow to maturity, and make sure you take into consideration which plants are tolerant to heat, or like cold weather, or can withstand (or give up quickly) when faced with the risk of frost.

Probably the most important thing to consider is what you (and/or your family members or friends who dine regularly at your place) like to eat, and what will be easiest for you to grow. Each year I like to experiment with a few new things—eggplant, say, or pumpkin or sweet corn, because they sound like fun things to say I’ve been able to grow. But for the first few seasons, at least, you will probably want to stick to some of the tried and true basics—vegetables that are easy to grow and tend, and that are popular items you already make use of in your household. Even with minimal care, and if you start them at the right time, you should be able to have success with, among others, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, onion, and a few other root vegetables or leafy greens such as beet or Swiss chard. If you tend to be a little lax about remembering to water regularly, you might want to think twice before planting peas (although the flowers are delightful in the garden, and it is fun to see them climb up their stakes or cling to the netting with their tendrils); likewise, if you are limited to container gardening or a very small plot, avoid climbing cucumbers, and go for the bush variety. If you are mainly using containers, or are working in an extremely limited spot, you probably won’t be harvesting your own corn or tending your own pumpkin patch or making cauliflower soup from your garden stock anytime soon—these need a lot of space to grow, and are not suitable for container gardening. Some vegetables simply require more in the way of resources—water, and nutrients in the soil, particular temperatures, and certain amounts of full or partial sun, or shade—in order to thrive.


When you are ready to get started, check with neighbours, or the local nursery, to inquire about when it is safe to plant, and whether it is best to start the plants from seed or as seedlings already started for you. Although it ends up being much more expensive (and some might say less fun) buying seedlings in their Styrofoam containers, in groups of four or six young plants, it is a good option for the weekend or beginner gardener whose schedule might not allow for the soil preparation and regular watering that are required to start the plants from seed.

We have what you might call some rough raw material to work with. At the moment, there is an extensive deck the previous owners built last summer. It is quite beautiful, and functional, although it takes up almost half of the backyard. Until we take part of it down and rescue or repurpose what we can of it, we will have about three feet by six feet, or so, to work with, for a vegetable plot this year. The earth is compacted and uncared for—it hasn’t been aerated or fertilized, I bet, in the seven years or so since the transformation from forested area to turfed suburban yard took place.

My husband suggested we put the garden by the side of the above-ground pool, sandwiched between the pool (and drenched in its shadow half the day) and the neighbour’s cedar hedge. I prefer going for as much light as possible, through the day, instead, and hope to convince him we should use a spot near the back of the yard—not totally out of the way, but somewhere that can hopefully be integrated into our use of the limited space we have. We’ve been spoiled—our last place had almost 10,000 square feet of land, and now we are down to almost half of that, with a good amount taken up by pool, and another area taken up by the massive deck the previous owner spent all of last summer putting up--that we can't wait to start taking down.

For this year, I will try to integrate the vegetable patch into the back half of our yard by placing stepping stones throughout, so that feet (both big and small) can pass through the garden without trampling it. Although the advice is usually to start small, and take on a manageable task, I can’t help but plan for abundance—an abundant harvest, and a beautiful vegetable garden that will provide us with variety and lots of great colours and flavours throughout the summer months, and on into the early fall. I plan on making this back corner of the yard unrecognizable by the end of the summer. If we make a raised bed, or a series of smaller beds, we can always transform these into flower beds or lightly landscaped areas (adding a bench or adding interlocking paving stones for a fire pit or child-friendly play area) if we decide to move the vegetable garden somewhere else, next year when we will have a great deal more space to work with.

Planning Our Garden Transformation

I have always been a fan of makeovers. Over the next few months, I hope to chart the progress I make, transforming the patchy lawn and meagre flower garden we’ve had passed along to us by the previous owners of our new home. I hope to have a thriving flower garden, herb garden, vegetable plot and compost heap going by the end of this first summer.

It might look a little uninspiring at the moment, with patchy grass and a narrow band of dirt as the raw material I’ve been given to work with, but the first leaves on the trees are finally unfurling after a long winter, and I am looking forward to planning and transforming the land that is now ours. I have big plans—a flower garden out front, with two enclosed beds next to the house that can feature sweet smelling flowering plants. We'll have one small bed near the office window, and one on the other side of the steps, to enjoy as we walk from the front door and down the steps to the driveway, then around to the backyard.

Next, my plan is to transform the sparse, dandelion-prone lawn out back to a vegetable garden, which will be helped along by the rich organic matter from compost from the bin or heap we plan on setting up. I plan on one veggie patch for me and my spouse, and another small plot or two for the kids, so that they can experience the very rewarding work that goes into creating and sustaining a garden. I want them to watch the slow and beautiful progress of the garden taking shape as the vegetables and flowering plants mature, bloom and bear their harvest. In a few weeks, I will take our two children to the garden store to buy seeds, teach them how deep to plant them; which ones need to be planted in raised mounds; which ones need to be soaked first. I stare at the patch of yard that barely supports a handful of weeds, and I plan on staking beautiful parallel lines with string across the raised plot that will soon be there. I can’t wait for the crunchy root vegetables and the broad leafy vegetables that will grow here by the end of the season.

I plan for an herb garden out back, as well, and if we don’t quite manage that this year, then I will settle for a planter or two brimming with fresh herbs we can grow inthe built-in planters in the deck, to keep nearby to pluck and use in salads or to season our meals. Thyme and sage, Italian parsley and sweet basil, dill, chives, and lavender—these sound like some good basics to plant this first season in our starter garden.

Planting a Simple Home Garden - Part 5

When it comes to planting a simple home garden, there are a lot of details to keep in mind. You have seeds an plants to germinate and select. You need to know the right time to plant your selections, you have to make sure your garden area is prepared, you have to fertilize your soil, and you have to maintain it regularly – amongst other duties. However, when your garden begins to grow, and you have the opportunity to monitor its progress, you get rewarded day after day. Here are a few more details to keep in mind:

Make Sure Your Soil is Prepared
In order to ensure that your soil is prepared for you garden, try tilling it. You’ll want to till deep enough, so go down at least 2 feet. If you don’t own a tiller, you can likely find one at your local Hardware store. Tillers can usually be rented for a day or longer. Tilling is an essential step in aiding the developmental process of your root system.

Fertilize Your Garden
What are the three F’s of gardening? Fertilize, Fertilize, Fertilize! You have your pick of a wide array of chemically-based fertilizers – so select the brand that is best for you. Before you make your final decision on a fertilizer, it is also good to know that your fertilizing techniques can work just as well when they are homemade and natural. Some of the common household ingredients that make an excellent compost to be used as a fertilizer for your garden are: coffee grounds; banana peels; the rinds of watermelon, cantaloupe, or any other melon; egg shells; water-diluted molasses; and other nutrient-rich biodegradable materials.

Regular Maintenance is Crucial
In order for your garden to flourish, it needs to be regularly maintained. Watering must be done on a regular basis in order for your plants to grow strong and healthy. Although it is recommended that you have a watering schedule, you also have to consider how often your plants are being watered “naturally.” If you have been getting an excessive amount of rainfall in your area, be sure that you have factored in the natural water your garden has received. If your garden is over-watered, then your plant roots can actually rot. Try to water your garden in the morning. And always factor in your rainfall!

Planting a Simple Home Garden - Part 4

When it comes to planting your simple home garden, you likely have a lot of questions. After you planned your plots, sketched your layouts, and considered your natural terrain, you are still left with a very important aspect of the gardening experience: flower or vegetation choices. We’ve already covered the importance of considering your climate before purchasing the plants for your garden.

What else should you consider before selecting your plants?

Pick Your Plants with Prudence
When you are selecting plants for your garden, there are two major questions you should ask yourself: How long will this plant last? Is this a good price? There are a variety of plants from which you can choose. Will you go Annual or Perennial? There are tidbits on each plant type you should consider before you purchase either.

Since Perennials last for more than two growing seasons, they are an excellent plant choice that can save you money and time. If you decide to grow Annuals in your garden, then it can be more economically conscious to grow them from seeds. Starting with seeds will allow you to save even more. You can easily germinate your seeds with potting soil and plenty of sunlight.

1000 GARDENING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
For a gardener there is an endless list of questions to be answered. Who wouldn’t want as much information as possible on how to improve their garden? For all of you information seekers out there, we recommend a wonderful book: 1000 Gardening Questions and Answers. This 700 page book is filled with garden news on various topics. It contains a plethora of garden topics that will help you plant a simple home garden or more. Some of the topics are: how to grow basil that really tastes like basil, how to divide perennials, how to long-lost varieties of flowers, how to get rid of earwigs, how to prune raspberry canes, and how to keep honeysuckle under control – to name a few. There is information on shrubs, flowers, vegetables, trees, indoor plants, pests, troublemakers, soil, herbs, the lawn, fruit, and other garden topics. The book includes hundreds of illustrations, and it is easy to read.

Happy Gardening!

Planting a Simple Home Garden - Part 3

You don’t have to be wealthy in order to have a beautiful garden. With good planning, you can have an amazing first harvest or fantastic blooms, and you can do it inexpensively. Gardening can be enjoyable and rewarding. Here are a few more things to keep in mind as you plan for your garden...
Plan Your Garden Access
In order to care for your garden you have to have full access to it. To make your garden accessible, be sure to plan out your trails, edges, and flowerbeds. This will not only make your garden accessible for care, but it will also be easier to view and enjoy. Will you use stones? Will you section off your garden areas with bark chips? Will you use sand? Or will you allow your natural terrain to provide paths of accessibility? You can make your trails temporary or permanent. Be sure that the material you select to make your garden more accesible does not shift into your flower beds.

Economically Friendly Gardens are Beautiful Too
Contrary to popular belief, gardens don’t have to cost you a fortune. You can inexpensively plant a garden to complement your front yard, your backyard, or even your urban patio. The most expensive aspect of the entire gardening experience is the very beginning. You don’t have to fill your gardens with the most expensive flower varieties. You also don’t have to include raised flower beds in order to make your garden attractive. There are a plethora of ways to create a garden that adorns your area in an inexpensive manner.

Create a Fabulous Flower Bed at an Affordable Price
Although some prefer to spend money on bricks or stones in order to create a raised garden, one of the most inexpensive methods for building a flower bed is surveying your natural landscape and utilizing it in your garden’s design. If you already have naturally raised areas in your terrain, you could easily use it to plant a textured garden. You could also evaluate the area around the foundation of your home, and use that as the outline of your garden. Some of the most beautiful flower beds in urban areas can be created without yard space at all. A simple, inexpensive, and delightful garden can be nurtured from a strategically placed planter.

However you decide to plant your garden, remember that it does not have to be expensive to be beautiful.

Planting a Simple Home Garden - Part 2

So maybe you never said you were going to open your own greenhouse or even switch over to a career in landscaping, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to put a little planning and effort into planting your simple garden. With a little time, effort, love, and care, you can easily create an attractive and productive garden that you can enjoy. If you are planting your first simple garden, here are a few more things to consider:

Take in all the Angles
In order to decide on the angle of your entire yard, use a level. This aspect of garden preparation is crucial. The way an area is angled determines how much water will run into the garden. If there is a balance, then your garden will be fine. If it is not balanced, then your garden could flood. Flooding can eventually cause root rot for your garden. What is a solution? For preventative measures, make sure you monitor your yard closely. You can also even out the area you’re using for your garden. Simply utilize mulch or another soil filler as a foundation. Then cover your filler with a top soil rich in nutrients. In this way, you can create a level area for your garden that won’t result in root rot or overexposure to the sun.

Test and Plan
Your soil may have certain deficiencies. To rectify any deficiency problems, be sure to treat the soil before you plant. Any specific minerals that are missing from your soil can be obtained from your local gardening department. You can then sprinkle or rake the powdered mineral into the soil.

Planning comes into play early on in the planting process. When plants are not well-planned, they can become crowded. For this reason, it is wise to be fully aware of your garden’s area of growth. Your plants should have sufficient room to thrive. If they do not, then your harvest or your flower blooms may suffer. The roots of your crowded plants will not have enough space to get the nutrients they need. When you sketch or detail the plans for your garden, you will be able to take into consideration the space each plant will need to grow.

Planting a Simple Home Garden - Part 1

You don’t have to have a degree in horticulture or have professional experience to have a beautiful and successful garden. There are all kinds of gardens and gardeners. You can make it your goal to maintain a vegetable garden or just to tend an aesthetically pleasing flower garden. Either way, when you are starting your first simple garden, here are a few essential things to keep in mind:

Make the Decision
The first thing you need to do is make the decision: What sort of garden will you have? First decide whether you would like a flower, vegetable, or herb garden. Every garden has its own special needs. Gardens need specific fertilizers and treatments.

It is important to consider where your flower garden or vegetables will be placed within the landscape of your yard. Will the plots be in completely separate spots, or will they be combined? Also, how will the climate affect your garden? Be sure to keep rainfall, animals, and sun exposure in mind when you decide on a plot for your garden. With a little research on your local climate, you can make the best decisions for your garden.

Make Your Plant Choices
If your garden is going to be located in a place with an extended blooming season, then try to select plants that bloom for long periods of time. This way you can keep your garden as beautiful as possible for as long as possible. If your blooming season is pretty short, try selecting annuals that bloom early in the season.

Are you attempting to plant tropical plants in the desert? Have you planned for a detailed cactus garden landscape in a lush, humid area? Unfortunately, neither of these scenarios will work out very well. Tropical plants need a lush atmosphere with plenty of rainfall. However, in an area with an abundance of rainfall, cactus plants may suffer from rotting roots. When you select the plants to begin your garden, be sure to consider your climate.

Having your own garden can be fun and rewarding, but be sure to select your plants wisely!

Some Bugs are Beneficial

Let’s say you are outside tending your beautiful garden one day. The sun is shining brightly, your plants are growing beautifully, and you see a bug light ever so gently on a stem.

What do you think?

a) How nice for that delightful insect to grace my garden with his presence. I’ll wait until he has completed his business.

b) Get out of here you intruder! You’re the reason my plants withered up and died last season! DEATH TO ALL BUGS!

c) Insect? What insect? Oh, that thing I just killed a minute ago?

What kind of gardener are you? Do you enjoy the presence of bugs in your garden? If so, then it would be helpful for you to plants that only attract pest-eating insects. That way you can enjoy the presence of bugs that are beneficial to your garden’s productivity.

Do you feel like the gardener in b)? If your mantra is DEATH TO ALL BUGS, then beware. All bugs are not out to make your garden wither up and die. Some insects are actually on the hunt for the insects that make your garden miserable. These bugs are good. If you want your garden to be nice and healthy, then it is important to know which bugs are your friends, and which bugs are your enemies.

Garden Enemies:
- Apids
- Cucumber Beetles
- Rootknot Nematodes
- Flea Beetles
- Symphylans. . . to name a few.

Bugs that are Beneficial:
- Lady Bugs
- Greenhouse Whiteflies
- Western Damsel Bug
- Green Lacewing
- Minute Pirate Bug. . . to name a few.

So what should you do to encourage the bugs that are beneficial?
Unlike the gardener in c), you should learn to identify and distinguish the good bugs from the bad bugs. Don’t swat and kill everything you see. Instead, include garden plants that the
beneficial bugs find tasty. When your garden is being infested by enemies, release your little friends right on to the section of your garden with the highest concentration of their favorite food. They’ll be appreciative for the buffet, and you’ll be glad you befriended beneficial garden bugs!

Gnats to Deer: Garden Pests Come in Many Sizes

Garden pests can be big or small, but with a little bit of advance planning, you can be compared to defeat garden pests of any size. The pests you encounter varies by your region, and even by the type of plants or vegetation you choose to include in your garden. The first step is to identify the problem. This post discusses to very different garden pests, and how to combat each one.


Nixing the Gnats
Gnats can be dealt with in a very simple and stress-free manner: water regulation. Gardeners do well to maintain a watering schedule for their plants. While a water schedule can keep plants nice and healthy, it is also crucial in keeping gnats at bay. Fungus Gnats generally invade gardens with over-watered soil. When the soil has an opportunity to dry between watering, you don’t have to worry about too much moisture. If Fungus Gnats are already a problem for you, simply dispose of decomposed debris, and keep your watering schedule regulated.

Dealing with Deer
Deer are the larger scale of pests to avoid. Since they appear to think you have planted your garden especially for them, they can do some serious damage. You try deterring dear by including plants that they don’t find tasty. Intersperse plants like thyme, daffodil, daisies, iris, oriental poppy, and marigolds. You can also try limiting deer access with fencing and sprinklers with sensors. (Not only is the sprinkler system effective, it is also quite entertaining!)

Finally, to help you in your fight against garden enemies, try this product:
Shake-Away repels deer and other pesky critters from your garden in a natural way. There are no messy chemicals, simply the scent of an animal that instills fear in deer and other garden pests - a coyote. Just sprinkle your Shake-Away around your garden area, and you´ll be able to naturally repel your garden pests. The solution is not messy, and it is safe and easy to use. For more information about this helpful product, visit http://critter-repellent.com/deer/deer-damage.php.

How to Plant a Pest Repellent Garden - Part 2

Planting a garden that is beautiful, productive, and pest repellent is not just a dream. If you know the right plants to include, you can create a garden that is equipped to naturally repel plant pests. Here are a few more pest repellent plants
to keep in mind:

Call for Help with the Anise Hyssop
The Anise Hyssop is a wonderful addition to your garden. It is a tall perennial plant that produces plenty of nectar. As a result of its nectar production, the Anise Hyssop attracts helpful insects like butterflies. This pest repellent plant attracts
insects that will eat your plant pests! If you decided to intersperse the tall Anise Hyssop in your garden for natural pest control, then make sure it is placed in a location that doesn’t create too much shade for shorter plants.

Nasturtiums Can Save the Day
If your garden is reserved for tasty veggies, then Nasturtiums may be the pest repellent plant for you! Some of the more common vegetable gardens include tomatoes, potatoes, and even eggplant. Unfortunately, these crops attract a devastating pest called the Colorado Potato Beetle. This beetle can not only cause your plants to wither, but it could very well destroy your entire vegetable garden. If you are looking for a way to repel this plant pest naturally – even if it is only a slight repellent, then Nasturtium is a good choice. When you plant Nasturtiums with your other plants, you can provide them with a measure of natural protection.

Radishes Are Your Friend
How do you provide natural protection for your garden from plants pests that attack
from the roots? One way is to plant radishes. Although it sounds like an imaginative
sci-fi flick, there are actually parasitic worms that feed on plant roots. These worms
– or Rootknot Nematodes – can actually kill your plants or significantly reduce the
productivity of your garden. Radishes repel these parasitic worms along with
cucumber beetles. And the best part is that radishes are edible!

How to Plant a Pest Repellent Garden - Part 1

Gardening is fun and enjoyable, but it can definitely take effort to cultivate. Do you want all of your gardening efforts to be destroyed by pests? Of course not!

There is a vast array of methods gardeners can utilize in order to ensure that their garden stays safe and sound. There are a plenty of insecticides that can be sprayed or dusted in order to protect your plants from harm. But did you know that you could actually plant a pest repellent garden? As unbelievable as it seems, your garden can actually repel pests naturally. This post lists plants you can include in your naturally pest repellent garden. Even if your garden includes plants that are natural repellents, when coupled with some of these special picks, your garden can still enjoy a measure of protection.

Marigolds Aren’t Just Pretty
Marigolds are beautiful flowers that can easily brighten up a home. Fortunately, these flowers are not just beautiful adornments. Marigolds can actually repel pests. Marigolds can repel aphids, potato beetles, root nematodes, and other insects. Marigolds even attract a pest predator, Hover Flies. Hover Flies like to eat harmful aphids.

How can you get the most from your Marigolds?
Try planting your Marigolds amongst your plants so that your garden has natural protection distributed evenly throughout the garden. You can also try planting your Marigolds as a protective border around your garden. Marigolds aren’t just pretty, they are an excellent natural pest repellent.

Cornflowers Can Help Your Garden Immensely
When it comes to aesthetic value, cornflowers are simply beautiful. However, they can also help protect your garden. They attract helpful insects like ladybugs and wasps. Since ladybugs feed on plant pests, Cornflowers are certainly an asset. Cornflowers make a lovely protective border.

Herbs Can Help Too
Helpful insects are the ones that eat garden plant pests. Since the Borage herb can be very attractive helpful insects, they can be a source of protection to the entire garden. After interspersing this particular herb with your other plants, you will attract a fleet of helpful insects to your garden in no time.

Plant Pests to Avoid in Your Garden

All gardeners want the very best for their garden. Whether you are tending a flower garden, a vegetable garden, or an organic garden, you can always protect your garden from pests that intend to take over. Your garden needs protection in order to thrive. One of the best ways to take care of your garden is to be observant to what is needs. All gardens need protection from harmful plant pests. There are a plethora of garden enemies you should know about. What sort of plant pests should you be guard against? This entry lists various plant pests every gardener should avoid.

Aphids
Aphids can come in a variety of colors, so don’t be fooled by their presence. Aphids can infest various types of gardens. They can be a very dangerous pest for a garden. Aphids can rapidly spread disease throughout your entire garden. They are known to cause plants to weaken by sucking nutrients from their tissues.

It’s good to know that your Aphid population can be significantly reduced by one of their most common predators: ladybugs. If you encourage and protect your resident ladybugs, they can serve as an effective chemical-free protection for your garden.

Cutworm
Cutworms are not a plant pest with which you should be trifle. There are several species of cutworms that can invade and destroy your garden. Since cutworms can actually attack your garden plants from the soil line, beware. They have been known to feed on plant foliage, eat holes in plant roots, and even cut off seedlings. Your average insecticides are not the most effective way to treat cutworms. So what is a gardener to do?

Cutworms need to be counterattacked personally. If you have a small garden, you can just pick the cutworms by hand from your plants. For the pests below the soil line, you can generally just uncover your top layer of soil and pick them right out.
If you have a fairly large garden, you try spraying Sevin on your plants. This particular spray can be applied to the soil and the plant leaves.

Flea Beetles
Flea Beetles may be small in size, but this tiny black insect can cause super-sized trouble. Flea Beetles are a plant pest that can create pits in the leaves of various garden plants. The good news is that if you have a garden of mature plants, flea beetles may not cause a great deal of damage to your garden. If you are having a significant flea beetle infestation, however, then try applying a natural pesticide.