Skip to Content

White bugs are a problem for many gardeners who like to grow houseplants. There are several would-be plant bugs, but a common one is mealybugs on plants. If you have discovered what looks like a white fuzzy coating on the stems and leaves of your succulents or other indoor plants, it is likely that you …

Read More about Mealybugs on Plants – Houseplant Pests – Mealybug Treatment

The tobacco hornworm is a voracious eater that can do a great deal of damage in a flower or vegetable garden. It is a pest in the family Solanaceae. The tobacco hornworm is quite commonly seen in the southern United States, especially the Gulf Coast States. Its range extends northward as far as New York. Caterpillars …

Read More about Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca sexta) vs Tomato Hornworm

Trying to control squash bugs can seem like an insurmountable task when you find them in your vegetable garden.  If you grow zucchini or squash, you may be familiar with trying to deal with a squash bug infestation. These bugs can do a huge amount of damage, particularly to new plants. Young seedlings and plants …

Read More about Control Squash Bugs 12 ways – How to Kill Squash Bugs

If ants are invading your home and you don’t want to use retail products, home made Borax Ant Killers may be the answer, but how effective are they? I decided to test five of them to find out! Using more organic ant killer remedies is something that many environmentally conscious homemakers have an interest in. …

Read More about Borax Ant Killers – Testing 5 Different Natural Ant Killers Against Terro

There are dozens of vinegar uses in the home. From soaking your sponges to keeping your counters free of ants, this product is a must have. Vinegar is a versatile and effective household product that is more useful than just for making salad dressing.  There are many vinegar uses around the house and garden.  One of the …

Read More about 50+ Tried and Tested Uses for Vinegar

I, for one, and many of my gardening friends have noted the declining bee population.  And those that do visit our yards are the bumble bees, rather than honey bees. With all the talk of GMOs, pesticides and large scale farming, one has to ask the question “How important are bees to our Food Supply and to …

Read More about Declining Bee Population – How Important are They?

Critters in the garden range from beneficial to invasive.  Some actually are listed by the US Department of Agriculture as invasive pests that need to be controlled.  See my tips for dealing with these unwanted bugs. This post was sponsored on behalf of the United States Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection …

Read More about Tips for Dealing with Invasive Pests

Mother Nature has the perfect answer  for summer bugs- mosquito repelling plants! We can grow annuals, perennials and herbs that will keep the bugs away naturally. With summer comes lots of outdoor living.  Sadly, that can mean lots of mosquitoes. I don’t like to use chemical products so this natural solution is great for keeping …

Read More about Mosquito Repelling Plants – Keep Those Bugs Away!

Facebook has so many great pages devoted to gardening, but the way the site now shows the content of pages, it is sometimes hard for them to get seen on news feeds. Facebook is one of the most popular of the social media channels. I thought it would be fun for the Garden Charmers (a …

Read More about The Garden Charmers Share their Favorite Facebook Pages

I love to feature photos from some of the fans of my Facebook page. Today I’ll be featuring  the lovely butterfly and insect photos of a fan named Tamara. Fans of my Facebook page love to submit photos of their gardens and projects for me to consider for this website and The Facebook page – …

Read More about Butterfly and Insect Photos by Gardening Cook Fan Tamara

We all know that gardens need bees for pollination but so many other garden insects will find their way into a garden too.  Just provide them with flowers and leaves, and they will seem to find us! There is nothing like wandering around in my garden and seeing the wildlife in the form of insects …

Read More about Butterflies, Bugs, Bees and Other Garden Critters