Sea Foam
Just Joey in full-bloom
Sea Foam in bloom 'bella!!'
Aphids and their Feasting
Sea Foam and Aphids 20th October 2008
Today I stepped past the many coloured geraniums, past the pale pink bird like flowers of fuchsia and purple cyclamen and to the siren water fountain anchored to the wall of the pergola, and my eyes scanned the port wine magnolia and the many green fingered hands of the miniature philodendron and past the Phoenix robelini I stepped toward the garden shed.
There standing before it was a standard sea foam that has stood the test of time and its spring tide of marauding green aphids.
Every year about now the aphids swarm.
First comes the dark bodied clear winged scouts and in a matter of moments some invisible signal is given for the green squadron to make its descent.
Before long my hand is pumping pyrethum in a frenzied spray, but what of the lady beetles??...and the jumping spiders and wasp like flies?; flies imitating wasps, abdomens marked like bees or wasps pretending they might sting.
The pyrethum seems least pleasant, less purposeful when merged into the equation of collateral.
My had pumps less.
My neighbor, an aged and wise chemist from way back makes his spray from the nicotine of used cigarettes.
I try to wonder what people must be thinking when he is stooping low to retrieve the butts from the pavement?
Does he share his reasons and intentions to ease the quest of the aphid?
Or does he celebrate a hobo's preoccupation?
Mixing the remnants of cigarettes with water seems an organic solution to the use of the natural pesticide pyrethum.
Because pyrethum it is a natural pesticide, I suspect we gardeners are lulled into the false belief it is selective and will not kill hardier insects such as the ladybird...but it can, and does...
The cigarette spray, I am told works...because aphids as we know don't smoke, excepting on hot days when sucking spliffs and rollies in the sun for too long... they are not known to wash dishes either so I will try and wash them with detergent..
Fat Green Aphids
