I love to garden. Period.It is not uncommon to catch me outside alone in the evening, soil between my fingers, winding down from the daily grind. It is my therapy. Truly.
That being said, every year like clockwork, I wage the SAME frustrating battle against a few of Mother Nature's creatures. I have already dealt with the chipmunk AND deer situation this year, and have managed to dramatically slow the damage down (at least caused by the deer) thanks to this product. (Swear by it!)
This week, however, my least favorite garden pest reemerged in the yard (as it has now 3 years in a row)...
If you don't know recognize this guy, it is a Japanese Beetle. Better yet, TWO Japanese Beatles making Japanese Beetle BABIES on my flowering Crape Myrtle.
AGH!!
No, no, no!
If you want to learn more about this pesky character, knock yourself out... OR, just trust me when I say that if you know them... you hate them. Period. Once you have an infestation, it is almost impossible to get rid of it before your entire garden is WRECKED.
To give you an idea of the damage they are capable of, this is ONE of my okra plants after ONE afternoon with the ONE and ONLY beetle I could find on it...
I know. Evil, evil, evil. Regardless, this is where my friendly tip comes in:After trying EVERYTHING under the sun (and wasting beau coup bucks over the years with little to no success), I have found a solution...
Veggie Pharm is an all natural and biodegradable insecticide made from certified organic peppermint oil, garlic, cottonseed oil, rosemary and carrot juice. It is safe for humans, plants, pets... just not beetles and their pesky counterparts.I randomly bumped into this product last year and figured it was worth a shot. Within 3 days... Beetles GONE! I said GONE!
Yes!
As Whole Foods no longer carries the product, the ONLY local St. Louis store I have found that currently sells it is the gift shop at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Random I know, but worth the hassle.
Steve discovered the beetles last night in the yard and I made my annual run to stock up on Veggie Pharm this AM between appointments.
A bottle of Veggie Pharm will cost you $20, and is worth every penny if the Japanese Beetle has declared war on your garden, as well.
Just paying it forward, peeps...
