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The large, beautiful caterpillar larvae of the elephant hawk moth has two pairs of eye markings, which are made even more prominent when it withdraws its head into its body. They are, typically, a blackish-brown colour but are sometimes green, and though their 'eyes' make them lo...

.Promptly pick off and destroy affected leaves. If leaf spot is a persistent problem, try growing your primulas under glass.Spraying with myclobutanil may help give some control, although they're not specifically labelled as a solution for primula leaf spot

growth. Check the pots daily.clematis, dahlias, chrysanthemums and other plantsspring, summer, autumnMore common garden pestsWaspsSlugsAntsCaterpillars

. However, they can remove quite a large area of leaf.Wait for the solitary female and swish her away. Try to avoid killing the bees because they're invaluable friends to gardeners, pollinating flowers.roses, wisteria, epimediumssummer to autumnMore leaf

.a range of ornamental plants, trees, shrubs, herbs, some vegetables, fruitspring, summerMore common garden pestsAphidsScale insectsFlea beetleEarwigs

pull them out if they appear in the garden. Every two weeks from early spring onwards spray plants with a systemic action fungicide.hollyhocks, mallowall year roundCommon fungal problems affecting plantsIris leaf spotRose blackspotRose rustTulip fire

. In severe cases, growth becomes distorted, leaves curl up, the plant weakens and can die.Natural predators, such as birds, earwigs, ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies, ground beetles, spiders and parasitic wasps are a gardener's best allies. Some

flower buds might never open, or do so unevenly.When disturbed, the bugs quickly drop to the ground or fly away, so you'll have to be quick if you want to catch and squish them. Remove their hiding places by keeping the area under plants free of debris

, and can be picked off by hand.The moment you spot an infestation, spray them with pyrethrum. If the plants are in flower, spray in the evening, so pollinating insects aren't affected.verbascum, buddleia, figwortsmid-spring to midsummerMore advice

A fungal disease weakens the plant and can seriously reduce its flowering performance. The brown spots eventually grow together and develop grey centres. Infection is caused by air or water-borne spores entering the plant through damaged leaves