Friday, July 23, 2010

What Could Be Better Than Basil?



Fresh basil is one of summer's joys. We are big pesto lovers. I also grow lemon, cinnamon and red basil. I love to add them to salads. Japanese beetles love basil too. I usually just figure the holes in my basil leaves prove that no chemicals have been used . I have that "If the insects won't eat it, should I?" mentality.

Evening primrose is one of the "weeds" that I frequently let grow here and there in the garden . The hummingbirds like it. This year a couple of evening primrose plants came up near the basil.



I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Japanese beetles seem to like evening primrose better than they like basil. The primrose are not doing much in the way of flowers. Their leaves are being fiercely attacked by the beetles.




The other plant has really been skeletonized. They are working so much better than the Japanese beetle traps that separated me from my money last year!

1 comment:

Gail said...

Becky, Yikes! Those beetles are bad! I've had trouble with flea beetles damaging my heuchera~If it's not one bug it's another one! gail