Juli Lawrence - Rakish Gardening

Once again, I can’t rave enough about Sally Jean Cunningham. I really studied her book on companion planting.

This section contains my notes on things I did to attract beneficial insects, those bugs that prey upon bad bugs.

First up, the hairy vetch. The most wonderful stuff in the world. I originally planted it as a cover crop, a green manure that I would till in. But it became such a home to lady beetles that I didn’t have the heart to til it in. This fall I intend to plant it everywhere I have a place, then use it next spring as a living mulch. I will plant IN the hairy vetch. It was soft and I just wanted to run barefoot in it (but not wise, because it also attracts bees).

My other plants to attract beneficials:

• Queen Anne’s Lace. Yes, I realize that this is a huge weed to most people. I’ve always thought it to be so beautiful (along with chicory that grows along roads back in the Midwest, where I’m originally from). But the ladybugs just LOVED it. It was always full of lady beetles and their cool looking larvae. The larvae look like funky tiny brightly-colored alligators.
• Borage. I don’t know what beneficials it brought other than bees, but the bees did enjoy it.

Other things I’ve planted, but I really don’t know how well they worked. Probably well, because my whole garden has been a wonderful, diverse biocommunity of wonderful insects, from the many, many lady beetles, lacewings, parasitic wasps, tachinid flies, bees and other good things.

• asters
• basil (improves tomato flavor)
• chamomile
• cosmos
• crimson clover (this still has not bloomed)
• lovage
• dill
• parsley
• sea hollies? I planted this, but where did it go?
• sweet alyssum
• yarrow (is it still there? It’s never bloomed)
• zinnias

Some of these plants seem to have been swallowed up by the huge vegetables. I know parsley plants and lovage are still plugging along under various vegetables. I’ve seen them. The marigolds are robust and look like they’re starting to form blooms again. But where did the sea hollies and yarrow go?

Also planted goldenrod, which won’t bloom til late August or early fall, and it’s supposed to bring in soldier bugs. Next year, I need to order early: soldier bug attractant at Planet Alive, but by the time I found it, it was too late in the season. Order in February!

One of Sally’s methods is planting the happy family, which includes your vegetable, and then a plant each from parsley and aster families. I did that on each plant for the most part. That’s partially why my garden is a jungle. The other reason is that I planted in patchwork fashion. A few tomatoes (and friends) here, some over there, cukes here, some over there. And so on. No straight, neat rows, just hodge podge.

I still haven’t fully gotten used to it, and in some cases, I should have made better paths. A few spots are difficult to get to, to check plants and to pick.

• Time to plant the hairy vetch!
• Doings in the gardens
• As summer starts to wind down
• Harvest!
• Phil Hendrie and organic farming/gardening