Garden Pic of the Day: Garden Friends!

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First, a pretty pic of the petunias and red saliva in a pot that's on the other side of the gravel pull-in parking slot, opposite the red striped petunias.



    Next, I have a couple pics I got from the Internet of a "garden friend," a beneficial bug you want your flower garden, because they eat other insects.  It's the lion of the garden, a predator.
I would see immature ones on my hibiscus--between 3 and 10 or so spread between the 2 plants. I didn't know what they were, so I looked them up, because you need to know the difference between plant destructive insects and beneficial ones!
Immature Assassin Bug with fly
 in mouth.
Mature Assassin with Wings
I was pleased to find these odd, small long-legged orange bugs were the beneficial type. Interestingly, they're called "Assassin Bugs." They "assassinate" other insects!
More precisely, they're called "Milkweed Assassin Bugs." They're called that, because of their orange and black coloring looks somewhat like a insect that eats Milkweed plants called a "Milkweed bug," though there's no other relationship betweent them.
Assassins are very small---a mere 1/2" to 5/8" max in body length. Winged when mature. There legs are so over-sized they seem more leg then body.
I saw a mature Assassin, such as pictured on left, sitting on top of one of my Black-Eyed Susan's yesterday morning as I walked out to the car. He was perched there, waiting for some hapless victim. A lot of bees were hovering about, visiting the nearby Eyngro, and I didn't want him eating a Honeybee, so I shooed him off there with my car key.
They are harmless to humans and don't come in the house--FYI.

There are dozens upon dozens of beneficial insects that prey on other insects, providing a natural pest control in the yard and garden. Some common ones are Lady Bugs, Praying Mantis, Lacewings, Dragonflies, Assassin Bugs & Spiders.
(If you find a spider web in the garden and it's not in your way, leave it there. Let them do their job!)
You can even order on-line supplies of beneficial insects to set lose in your garden, such as Lady Bugs or Mantis---the trick is, they won't just stay in your particular garden forever.
If you have a large enough garden and really value natural organic pest control, it's probably worth while.
Here's a website that does that, if you're like to see:

Other Fun Stuff:
Today I have a Beading Class I'm taking at the local craft store!
I'll learn how to make my own bracelet!
I have lots of costume jewelry in need of a re-do and how cool would it be to be able to do that myself!
I took apart an old necklace with quite a few beads that had lost their coloring, but the turquoise colored beads are still fine and I'm taking those with me to day to use in my bracelet. I'll will need to buy the smaller spacing beads. So I'll learn something and recycle!
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Tomorrow, Mama Kat's Prompt: which will be sharing something I made with my hands!

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