Bugs!

It was a beautiful morning in the garden- the clear sky was nicely complimented by the cool temperature. Our flowering plants are taking off really well, and we have three beautiful monarch butterflies flying from flower to flower. The kids especially loved the butterflies and they had fun chasing after them. Today's lesson plan was dedicated to bug hunting. We explained to the kids that butterflies and bees are welcome in the garden because they pollinate our flowers. Some beatles, spiders and ladybugs are also good to have because they eat the bad bugs. Because we don't suppliment our garden with pesticides, we also have pesky bugs, like snails and grubs, which eat our plants. Today, we found some curious bright red bugs (pictured right) on the firebush, and after some investigation I think they may be early instar Leaffooted Bug nymphs. At the end of the day, we relocated the bad bugs far away from the garden and put the good bugs on the compost pile.

To recover from the vandalism incurred over the weekend, we replanted some watermelon seeds today! We're hoping for a mild winter to give the watermelon a good amount of time to grow and catch up with the rest of the plants. As the weather has been getting cooler, we've begun to reduce our watering to every other day. The garden is looking healthier and more loved everyday!