Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia

Over 40 Years of Growing Gardens and Gardeners

Phlox Subulata (moss pink) in landscape. Photo © Elaine Mills

beneficial insects

Attracting Beneficial Bugs to your Garden –
A Natural Approach to Pest Control

Attracting Beneficial Bugs to your Garden – A Natural Approach to Pest Control, Revised and Updated Second Edition, by Jessica Walliser will change the way you think about bugs and pest control in your garden. An American Horticultural Society book award winner, it is a practical guide to beneficial insects, the pests they eat, and how to attract and keep them in your existing garden.

Read moreAttracting Beneficial Bugs to your Garden –
A Natural Approach to Pest Control

What’s that dried grass doing in my window track?

Now that temperatures have warmed, we eagerly work outdoors in our gardens, while indoors, with perhaps less enthusiasm, we tackle our home’s spring-cleaning projects – like window washing. As you slide the screens or storm windows up or down the tracks, you may be surprised to see hay-like pieces fall on the sill. Inside a track, you likely will discover dried grass packed within the cavity along with cocoons.

Read moreWhat’s that dried grass doing in my window track?