We've had rain here in Southern California this past week, and I can't wait to see my flowers burst forth in happiness from it! I have spring fever and luckily, here in our area, I won't have to wait until May to start working in the garden. My little roses are already forming buds and the aphids are already attacking them!
In the past I have not used sprays on my plants. I feed the birds year round and had hoped they would each choose at least one insect to eat per day to repay me for my kindness! This has never happened however, as everything in my little garden lives in harmony, year after year after year. If I didn't know better, I'd think I had the same grasshopper (it's size is a testament to how much he likes my plants)the same snails, the same aphids etc. I know I have the same birds and they all have names. When I attempted to grow tomatoes the caterpillars were such that they prompted their own post on my blog! They were gigantic!
This year, I have to get these insects under control. I want lovely plants but not the toxins. I want to persuade the insects and even Jiminey (the cricket) to visit other gardens in the neighborhood. I'm hoping this recipe for a natural garden pesticide will do the trick.
In a blender puree:
4 onions
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 quart water (1 liter)
Blend ingredients and set the mixture aside. Dilute 2 tablespoons soap flakes in 2 gallons (7.5 liters) water. Pour in the contents from your blender, shake or stir well, and you have a potent, environment-friendly solution to spray on your plants.
