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in my garden and rely instead on birds and predators like ladybirds and hoverflies plus hand picking for lily beetle.  I do, however, have some Provadon on stand by in case I ever get vine weevil but it's probably past its sell by date. I too use

around in the smelly nettle feed. It was quite off-putting. No hoverflies though, sadly. I have pyracantha hedge (P. Red Column, P. Saphyr Yellow, P. Orange Glow I think)5feet high 2feet wide, and for the last 3 weeks it has been producing flowers

after last night's downpours. I've only just read your lovely blog, but I too made an entry about hoverflies and their larvae as they are all over the wood I survey. Great minds eh? I am just about to purchase another compost bin as mine is full and I am

and aubergines out last week and yesterday found LOADS of hoverfly larvae munching all the aphids. Hope this weather lasts! Kate Hello Italophile. Thanks for the info on how Marigolds deter 'Root Knot Nematodes' - didn't know about that. I'll now put more down

parts, and lumpy and undulating in others.  I take the mower over it when it starts to look really untidy and I dig out a few dandelions and plantains when I get the urge to, but it never gets watered and it seems to survive.  The bees and hoverflies

, and this is potentially catastrophic for bees.   There is really no need for gardeners to be using these pesticides, I don't think any plants are worth losing our bees over, there lots of natural controls; in the case of aphids just wait for the ladybirds and hoverflies

want to harm the ants - I'm guessing the rhubarb leaf solution would poison both? Clarmallagh, I think the little larvae you found on your blackcurrants may be hoverfly larvae, which will eat the aphids. Re. this business of getting rid of insect pests

'm not complaining about that! Despite its reputation as a butterfly magnet, buddleja is a very poor nectar source for butterflies, bumblebees or hoverflies. I've never quite worked out exactly why this should be so, since I too have memories of the purple spikes

population under control, we also have damselflies, hoverflies, butterflies, moths many varities of bees, insects I do not recognise. We have had Hedge Sparrows, Blackbirds and Sparrows nesting and though the Goldfinches do not nest in our garden we have them

bumble bees of different kinds.  We are surrounded on all sides by sprayed farmland and our nearest managed bee hives are about a mile away. Last October I had 4 different types of bee plus hoverflies and a tortoiseshell butterfly on one single sedum