Rita's Inbox

Hi - sifting through old posts...yes, sound like lupin aphids & yes, I just abandoned lupins on my front garden after infestation. Now, 2 yrs later, they're on my established 'Black Lace' elder sambucus nigra !?! Predators such as ladybirds & lacewings aren't interested in them, so very messy hand squashing or chemicals required. Big b*ggers.

Not absolutely sure from the photo (I need a closeup!) but I think it is Euphorbia polychroma. I see no reason not to try splitting it, but I wouldn't do it while it's still flowering/growing.

awwwwww what a lovely story and with a happy ending

I accidentally bought one into the house last summer. I had picked a few salad veg from the garden and left them on the draining board in the kitchen. The next morning I went to maky hubby's sandwiches ready for lunch when I noticed the bread bag had a hole in and there were crumbs on the worktop. Suddenly I noticed something moving out the corner of my eye. I jumped and gasped. Hubby had just left for work so decided to investigate myself. When I lifted the toaster, there, with it's wide eyes stairing right at me, was a gorgeous little field-mouse. At first it startled me. I lowered the toaster gently and reached out to the 'phone. I phoned hubby and he came straight home. I couldn't just leave him in the house, as we have 3 cats and they would have enjoyed chasing it around the house! He managed to catch it gently in a tea-towel. As the little mouse poked his nose out through the cloth, I could see how cute it was and thought how lucky it had been in the house overnight with the cats. Hubby took it to the end of the garden and let him disappear underneath the shed to relative safety......never to be seen again....ahhhhhh

hi rita, guess he just wanted to say hello

Hi Rita we get loads seen my pics?

How sweet sounds like uv made new friend there ;)

Pretty little things, aren't they! I like to see them in the garden around the bird feeder, but one came indoors last year - I wasn't so keen on that and I thought Henry might catch it...He didn't, luckily.

thats how I got mine aswell!

Although not in Tyne and Wear my father has had his allotment for over 50 years its all become a bit much for him and he happily divided it in two with younger gardeners.They were not on council list as he was not giving up plot.As far as council concerned still his plot and they share rent.Worth visiting allotments to see if certain ones neglected and if owners will go halves with you.Think my dad enjoys passing on his experience and was worried who might end up next to him So worth trying to build a rapport with allotment holders.

Fingers crossed Rita but either way you'll end up with something be it lupins or marigolds! Hel.xxx.

If these greenfly are great big things - about 3x the size of a 'normal' greenfly - then you have lupin aphid. They are nasty little blighters that literally smother lupin plants. They are greyish in colour and seem to be regional. I am unlucky enough to have these and, as I do not like to use chemicals, I have found it easier to simply stop growing lupins. Sorry not to be more positive about this. If your greenfly are just the normal ones, then squirting them with soapy water should be effective. Good luck!

One way to deal with the troublesum little greenflies is to plant some marigolds near them as the marigolds attract hoverflies who in turn just love eating the naughty little green things....another wonderful and easy example of the circle of life! Hel.xxx.