Village Gardener Express

Official Newsletter of Ebert's Greenhouse Village

April 25th, 2024

Hello Anne,

You can’t talk about gardening without talking about bugs. There are a lot of bugs that will destroy a garden if you let them. Aphids, whiteflies, cabbage worms – it's a long list. What we don’t talk about very much are some of the common garden bugs that are beneficial to our plants. Bees, of course, are the superstars and that’s probably fair, since they pollinate so many of the world’s food crops! Yay, bees! Let's take a look at some other garden heros!

Common Garden Bugs That Are Actually Good for Your Plants

Stand back and allow these common garden bugs do their thing, which is to rid your garden of pests and help make the overall environment healthy for your plants.

Some bugs are pollinators, others eat pests, or in one case, they lay their eggs on pests where they will hatch and eat the plant-destroying bugs. Sounds gross, but it’s really effective. Here's the lineup:

Spiders - Alright, technically these are arachnids and not insects, but darn if they don’t do some serious work in keeping your garden free of pests. 

Lady beetle - (newsletter cover photo) The lady beetle, or ladybug, might be the most popular of common garden bugs. They are pretty darn cute, but they’re also darn deadly - not to us humans but keep your eyes open if you’re an aphid. The ladybug larvae can eat dozens of aphids every hour! 

Green lacewings - These pretty and delicate-looking bugs are fierce predators. They feast on aphids and other soft-bodied insects. 

Ground beetle - Ground beetles will try to eat almost anything that moves, and they cannot climb, so their foraging range is limited to the soil’s surface and top few inches of moist soil. They happen to be super beneficial for your garden, making a meal of aphids, mites, root maggots, even slugs and snails. 

Parasitic wasps - There are a few species of these wasps, but the end result in your garden is the same. They lay their eggs in or on cutworms, caterpillars, tomato hornworms, cabbage worms, aphids, and more. The little baby wasps then hatch and eat their host.

Worms - Not all beneficial creatures in the garden are predators. Worms can do wonders for your soil, keeping it aerated and healthy. They break down organic material and turn it into nutrient-rich soil. 

Dragonfly - Dragonflies are really cool, but their biggest benefit in the garden, is that they eat mosquitos. That might not be directly beneficial to the plants, but the more mosquitos a dragonfly eats, the longer we can stay out in the evening weeding and tending to our gardens! They can also fly up to 35 mph!

Lightning bugs - The lightning bug, also referred to as "firefly", brings a sparkly natural light show to your garden. While that makes them really special for us, the larvae are known to feed on snails and slugs in your garden.



Daddy Longlegs - You can find this critter on every continent except Antarctica, so they definitely deserve a place on any list of common garden creatures. They like to eat aphids, caterpillars, mites, and small slugs. Unfortunately, they also will eat earthworms and beetles.

Source: Farmers Almanac

Speaking of Bugs.......

We're pretty sure you have heard about the Cicada "event" coming up in parts of Southeastern Wisconsin this year. Take a look at this quick read from the Des Moines Register for some information about what we can expect.

Melinda's Garden Tip of the Week

Now is a great time to add some color to your gardens and containers.  Pansies, snapdragons, sweet alyssum, and fragrant stocks are just a few that like it cool and tolerate frost once hardened off. I have seen pansies covered in ice and once the ice melted the pansies looked great and kept on blooming. Senetti Pericallis hybrids are showstoppers with their colorful daisy-like flowers.  They tolerate temperatures down to35 degrees and will continue flowering throughout spring and early summer. All these cool weather plants help brighten our early spring landscape and provide needed nectar and pollen for early season pollinators.

Melinda's Choice of the Week:

'Diamond Rouge' Hydrangea

Hardy and low maintenance have made panicle hydrangeas a favorite of many gardeners. If you are like me there is always room for one more and 'Diamond Rouge' with its earlier flowering helps extend the hydrangea bloom season. Flowers are held upright on strong stems appearing in July. The flowers start out white, then quickly turn to pink, progressing to darker shades and ending in wine red. This mid-sized hydrangea grows 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. You’ll have the best flowers in full sun, but it will tolerate part shade.

Melinda's upcoming Appearance

Sunday,

April 28, 2024

Melinda's first In-Person Appearance this season!

Flowering Trees and Shrubs

Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Add a burst of color throughout the season with spring-flowering trees and shrubs. Small or large, these add color as well as pollinator and bird appeal to any size landscape. Azaleas, viburnums, dogwoods, serviceberries, crabapples, and more will be covered. Melinda will help you select the best trees and shrubs for your growing conditions and provide tips on proper care!

There will also be time for Q & A after her presentation.

Eberts Gift Cards!

Mother's Day will be here before you know it, and there isn't a more thoughtful gift than a gift card from Ebert's! You can order one online,

or give us a call (920) 261-5645 and we'll send one out to you!

Of course, you can stop in and pick one up too!

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Earth Day Writing Challenge! We would like to thank everyone who participated - there so a many well-written poems and essays! Winners from Peace Lutheran, SunPrairie and St. Paul's, Oconomowoc received monetary prizes, plants, award certificates, and a recycled garden.

Coffee Truck!

Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck will be here this Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and on Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Grab a yummy beverage to enjoy while you shop this weekend!

Final Thoughts:

We have had an amazing start to the 2024 season! It's been great seeing everyone again - we're meeting a lot of new friends too! The plants are gorgeous, and the displays are so creative and fun! If you haven't been out to visit us yet this spring, you're going to love it when you do! We hope to see you soon!

God's Blessings to you all!

Your Friends at Ebert's Greenhouse