I wore shorts yesterday, finally! The season is so cool that
the Japanese beetles haven’t even burrowed up from their lairs. The grapes are
lovely, the beans unhindered by attacks from these voracious plant predators. Of
all the pests, I dread the JBs the most.
JBs did not originate here, thus have no enemy save man. Neem
works but not perfectly. I hate spraying, as I always seem to have mechanical
problems. Bee balm grown close to beans, I found out by accident, really helps.
Handpicking is tedious and never-ending. The good news is, JPs rarely kill
plants, just make them look tattered and off-color.
I have been denied the beauty of roses, Rose of Sharon, hollyhocks
and pussy willows, as they are favorites of JPs. It broke my heart the day I
asked my husband to cut down that early blooming pussy willow. I refuse to give
up certain food crops because of those bugs!
I have come to a certain measure of acceptance that the
garden, along with life, me and all else are all a little tattered around the
edges.
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