Book Recomendation
Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden – A Natural Approach to Pest Control by Jessica Walliser
I recently saw this book in the “new books” nonfiction section of a local library. I like to check out this section in the library and then decide whether or not I want to purchase it for myself. This one is a keeper in that it’s not only interesting reading but will be a continued valuable reference book. It’s also not a book to read before mealtime as some of the pictures are quite graphic (and so interesting!) The contents include information about beneficial insects in general and then proceed to go in more depth into the predators and the parasitoids. Recommendations are made to bring the most highly attractive plants and the beneficials together. Plant partnerships or companion planting suggestions include pole beans growing up corn plants, pepper plants with dill, and alyssum and lettuce to form a living mulch beneath tomatoes. A wonderful chapter details plant profiles in “the importance of landscape diversity and complexity for good bugs”. There’s an excellent graphic-concluding chapter reflecting the beneficial insects, some of the pests they consume and plants that support them. Whether we just enjoy reading this book or choose to get more actively involved in the gardening aspects, it is a good go-to for anyone interested in nature and our potential interactions with it.
Debbie Czarnopys-White