I love my garden and growing my own veggies. I hate the bugs that love my garden and feed on my veggies before the harvest. Darn bugs!
“Insect puns really BUG me.” – Unknown
White moths, snails and slugs are my nemeses in the garden. I’m sure my neighbours think I’ve lost it altogether when they see me outside talking to my garden — actually, the bugs — using colourful language and making all faces when I’m forced to touch a slug or snail. I feel like their eyes and tentacles land on my garden and they throw a party as if they’ve hit the
ultimate jackpot. Either that or they hunker down for the winter and keep watch like a little FBI bug army and wait for the shovel to hit the ground year after year.
You’re probably thinking, why in the world is she talking about bugs in September and in a foodie column? Well friends, this is about trying to protect the food you have devotedly tended for months. The food you so lovingly planted from seed and watched grow into beautiful veggies and fruit. Those slimy suckers have the nerve and capability to rip it apart in one night if they want. How dare they!
“The love of gardening is a seed nice sown that never dies.” — Gertrude Jekyll
Let’s back it up for a moment to when I was planning the garden. Planning doesn’t just mean thinking about what to grow, which plants are companions and where will I plant them. Oh no. The bigger challenge: what to plant with the veggies and fruit to help combat pesky insects and bugs that ultimately want to devour my garden. Every year I add more and more deterrents. Oddly enough, the deterrents are great and not just for keeping bugs out. Just to be clear, I’m not thanking them. We’re still in a war.
Herbs are a great companion for veggies and repel a number of insects. You can plant anything from oregano, mint, basil, cilantro and dill. You need to do a little gardening homework to find out what herb is best suited to what veggie. Believe me, the invested time pays off. Plus, you get the bonus of fresh herbs.
Flowers are also a great way to repel bugs. I typically plant marigold and nasturtiums throughout my vegetable garden. The bonus? Beautiful fresh flowers. Extra bonus? You can add the edible nasturtiums flowers to your salads and other dishes as a garnish.
“Gardening is cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes.” – Unknown
Fast forward to today — bugs, bugs and more bugs. It’s nature, I get it. They serve a purpose. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t try my best to have several stop signs when they’re en route for landing. Especially with harvest time around the corner. Think of it as tools for the ultimate bug diversion.
My annual go-to is eggshells. I stockpile them all year long in the freezer. When I need them, I bake the shells in bulk at 350 F for about 15-20 minutes. I only do this on a nice warm day when I can open all the windows because it stinks — bad. I crush the baked shells into small pieces and sprinkle them around the perimeter of the veggie garden or at the base of a plant. Slugs hate eggshells. Bonus: they’re great for the soil. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
“We might think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it’s our garden that’s nurturing us.” — Jenny Uglow
If you need to break out the heavy artillery, it’s old pennies or copper mesh to the rescue. Whatever it is about copper, it’s like holding up garlic to a vampire. You want to see a snail or slug move? Hoo boy!
As you near harvest time, think about taking a closer look at your garden to see if you need to create additional diversions in order to reap the maximum benefits of your hard work. By taking these extra steps, you’re veggies and fruit will absolutely be fit to eat.
Erin Sulley is a self-confessed foodie who lives in Mount Pearl. Email [email protected]Twitter: @ErinSulley Instagram: @erinsulley
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