Plants that Attract Beneficial Insects
Conventional pest management has led us down a slippery slope of insect communities being destroyed and dominated by only a few species. This spells trouble for everything we grow, because it creates an imbalance in our garden and environment. It’s not too late to throw away your pesticides and chemical concoctions and grow a garden that is in harmony and balance with nature.
Choose the right plants
Research is now supporting the argument that diversity of biological communities restores an eco-system. As gardeners, we can harness the power of plants for pest control by choosing plants that attract beneficial insects. On the twenty four acres at Plant Paradise Country Gardens™ we do not use any pesticides or herbicides anywhere. It has never been necessary. We have allowed the natural defense of nature to take control.
Bring back nature
Not using pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers encourages birds, butterflies, toads, frogs, snakes and beneficial insects to thrive and create balance in the garden. With the addition of plants that attract beneficial insects you will encourage them to live permanently in your garden.
Attracting beneficial insects into your garden starts from the ground up – the soil. The health of your garden soil works like a chain reaction that effects your whole garden environment. A garden that is overrun with problem bugs is a garden out of balance.
There are decade’s worth of scientific articles about the direct relationship between increased nutrient availability and increased susceptibility to pests and disease. This provides a worthwhile reason to use only organic and eco-friendly fertilizers that have naturally low N-P-K ratings.
Attracting good bugs into your garden should be thought of as a cumulative benefit. Results are not an ‘instant fix’ to a problem. As your plants mature, more and more beneficial insects are established, thereby eliminating the need for insecticides. It will provide a long term solution that will create balance and harmony in your garden and save you money in the long run.
The following are my top plants every gardener should have in their garden to attract the widest selection of natural insect control: Salvia, Angelica gigas, Leucanthemum, Pycnantheum muticum, Agastache, Allium, Limonium latifolium, and Artemisia ludoviciana
Meet the Beneficial Insects
Insects are essential to the harmony and balance of your garden. They provide the essential pollination of food crops, flowers and decomposition of organic materials. There are approximately one million species of insects and only a small fraction are considered pests. We should value insects for the vital roles they play in keeping are gardens and environment healthy. Many insects are important beneficial predators. We should learn to recognize these good bugs because they are essential in keeping the bad bugs under control. Learning to identify and attract them will help you create a well balanced vibrant garden. At Plant Paradise Country Gardens we do not use any pesticides, insecticides or synthetic fertilizers of any kind. This is the key to attracting the good bugs that will eat the bad bugs. The pictures below are courtesy of the Canadian Wildlife Federation.
