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| Coconut daisies should attract beneficial insects that harm the bugs harming the roses. |
Someone kids me, automatically, about emptying my rain-barrels when a storm is coming. I have one in the front yard, with a tap at the bottom for filling the watering cans. Countless others, large and small, line the back of the house.
This is quite productive in giving new plants a start; tiny plants grow remarkably fast. They benefit from the usable nitrogen in rainwater and the lack of chlorine bleach.
At Lowe's I tried to buy peat humus, affectionally called Stinky Peat, on sale about half-price. The price was rung up and the clerk said, "They are all out." And elaborated. The next in line said, "They have plenty. I have a bag." The clerk changed her line to - "They are not bringing it up front." People were holding their heads in their hands as the line grew. I left with the sales receipt and looked at it later, with my glasses on. She charged me for what they "didn't have," so I went back and stopped where I usually pick up supplies. The man took my receipt and came back with the eight bags "they didn't have." Instead of being difficult, he was cheerful. I said, "With this stuff I don't need a car deodorizer." He started laughing as he pitched the bags in.
I got the manured peat because the removal of wild roses left another series of shallow holes in the Rose Garden, a good place to invigorate the soil. That mixes organic matter with clay, for good results.
I expect to have some coconut daisies to plant where the wild roses were.
