This morning the weather was fantastic: as I planted the last few onions on the allotment I saw what I think was my first common blue butterfly of the year.
Despite my love of beasties generally, the larvae of the gooseberry sawfly are top of my hit list at the moment. If you have ever had your gooseberry bush monstered by these babies, you'll know what I mean, as they can munch their way through a bush and destroy any chance of you enjoying luscious gooseberries within days, if not hours. So in the lexicon of evil, they're on a par with the Borg, or the Daleks, or a BNP canvasser ringing your doorbell: you get the idea.
The only real organic solution is being eagle-eyed and carrying out search and destroy missions whenever they appear. You can also discourage them from turning up in the first place by making sure your bush is open and airy (they hate that) by pruning it in the form of an open goblet. The gooseberry sawfly also targets white and redcurrants, so it's worth keeping a close eye on them too. They'll come in waves throughout the summer season, so Tony Blair-style eternal vigilance against sawfly terror is crucial.
On a brighter note, everything is bursting into life now, putting out soft green foliage and, in the case of the blackcurrant bushes, flower buds, as you can see from the picture. Unfortunately I can't share with you the wonderful blackcurranty smell that emanates from the leaves when they're rubbed together.
The first potatoes I put in are starting to poke through the soil, and the beetroots and cabbages have started to germinate. It's at this time of year like these I could spend all day, every day down at my plot, pootling around and enjoying the fresh air, if it weren't for that pesky concern commonly known as "earning a living".
Whiteflies are the bane of my garden's existence. Flocks and hordes and pestilences of them. Of course it would help if my DH would mow the lawn. I just sprayed insecticidal soap all over their favorite hangouts the other day.
And there's always the everloving aphids, in a variety to colors, but they are much easier to control due to their sheep mentality. They all like to dine on a single plant together, allowing me to just rip out that plant and dispose of them.
Posted by: Gabrielle Adams | April 25, 2005 at 07:38 PM
i love the blue butterflies, no less striking for their ubiquity.
working is truly a drag... if i had a big inheritance it would not "ruin" me, but rather simply allow me to pursue my many inexpensive hobbies on a full time basis. your garden is coming along nicely
Posted by: charles | April 27, 2005 at 04:12 AM