Bugs

Hi Marigold they look like greenfly they do have a greyish tinge to them, but these look rather fat so would think they have had plenty to eat looking at them. Hope you can sort them, spray them with a bug killer spray like Provado, if you do not like using that try a spray of soapy water see if that kills them off. Good luck

I just always call them aphids!

Find a Tansy plant next month, dig some up and plant under your Tree Lupin. Exit Greenfly -cost free.

They look like mealy bugs. or possibly wooly aphid, maybe next year a systemic bug killer could work......

I'd get a dish of dilute washing up liquid and a paint brush, it's quite therapeutic swirling the little paint brush around in the dish and ending up with a dish of dead aphids. I believe aphids take on the colour of the sap so this may explain their colour. I sometimes get reddish ones on new red rose growth:-)

Thanks for all your excellent advice - I have written the tips in my gardening journal for next year - I just could not stand the bugs any longer so I chopped the bush down - I have grown a new one from seed and have also kept some seed for next year - so we shall see thanks again - Marigold