Tuesday, May 8, 2012

V and Co: attracting pretty beetles

this house has a back yard.
this house's back yard is super bare.
it has nothing in it... and that includes trees, shrubs or patio furniture.

compared to our last backyards
this backyard is boring and really kind of sad.
i can almost hear it weep how sad it is.
over the next few decades (cause it's going to take us that long!) we would like to have a nice little backyard retreat, that will be a great place to BBQ and gather together as a couple and family.

and well this last weekend, i got the family started on that mission.
everyone was happy.<---just look at the husband's face, what? oh...yeah well he's happy inside. his face was just tired and didn't really reflect how he was REALLY feeling.
(he's going to laugh real hard when he sees that picture... well at least i am!)

we have such a long way to go in this yard, but it's okay. i think the kids actually kind of miss working in the yard together as a family. (they had equally tired faces, except for the that one pictured there)
we kind of had fun.
no really we did. :)
this tree is supposed to attract butterflies
so this time around we planted a few trees. three to be exact.
one of the trees is supposed to attract butterflies, (or so it says on the tag) and two are birches...which i was just told today, attracts some kind of beetle.
wha???
it didn't say that on the stupid tag.
honestly, i don't have a clue about this gardening zone, we're trying to figure stuff out, there are things out here that i've never seen grow back west, and there are some scary bugs that go with the gardening season out here as well...that i totally would much rather not have to deal with if i can. and of course i pick three trees, two of which attract a scary japaneese beetle of some sort...

well good news is the guy assured me that indeed it would attract the beetle BUT that it was a green, shiney, AND kind of pretty beetle.

yeah, i don't think so.
unless it can sing hey jude, or be one i can drive,  it aint a beetle i want to attract thank you very much.
sigh.
now how to break it to the husband that the happy maker he had to plant this weekend is going to bring us shiny PRETTY green beetles?
blarg.
i should stick to sewing.

13 comments:

Glen QuiltSwissy said...

But maybe they won't come! LOL.

It has taken us about 20 years to get the yard like we wanted it. And it is a beautiful retreat. I have some nice ideas for landscaping for dogs. I did a couple of articles for a large breed dog magazine a couple of years ago. Out of self defense! LOL

glen

V and Co. said...

you need to direct me to the magazines and or directions for the landscaping designs!

Garnet said...

The beetles really are pretty. If weren't destroying my favorite plants (roses and fruiting anything seem to be especially delicious), I could see how someone might find them really cool. Some birches attract them more than others. Maybe you got a good kind. Also if you're not afraid of chemicals, there are some sprays that are fairly effective. My neighbors don't like chemicals and pay their kids a penny a beetle to pick them off their bushes one by one -- the kids get rich and it gets rid of beetles. There are lots of options. Stick with me. I am a Japanese Beetle ninja. Or well, at least a survivor.

tubilinha tiacarminha said...

Se são do bem,não se preocupe...Quem sabe não sirva de inspiração?Os seus tecidos são lindos,estou fazendo em uma cópia de cores(as taças ou tijelas,lembra?)Como não percebi que ali tinha alguma coisa ...com tecidos????Agora estou eu fazendo uma linda colcha com as suas cores mas o tecido não é o seu.Estou falando dos sólidos.Vou juntar dinheiro para comprar os outros originais.Pegadinha?Nunca mais.Seja feliz,afinal é isso que interessa,não?Um beijo e eu adoro você.

Spencer said...

Having grown up in the Midwest, I know that beatle and while some may find it pretty, after the first couple you will likely find it more annoying than pretty. In fact, I remember having a couple traps in our yard to catch them and they could fill up with dozens, at least. One = pretty/neat. Dozens = what the heck is that thing in my hair?!

Tabitha said...

Is that beetle a locust? I live in Iowa, too, and as a child, we would pick their shells off the tree after they would shed them! Sounds gross, but as kid, we thought it was cool!

trish said...

Hey I have an idea... get chickens. They would love to eat your bugs for you and they are SO much fun. Not to mention they will give your family yummy eggs! :0) We prefer Rhode Island Reds. They are so sweet. :0)
Your backyard will be so pretty!! :0)
Love. Trish

Unknown said...

LOL. And for the record we are a zone 5.

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/publicationjavascript:void(0)s/rg215.pdf

~Emm

Tami B said...

Good luck with the beetles! I know how you feel. I planted these pretty green bushes all around our pool. Turns out the BEES just loved them! After a few stings, it was Bye-Bye Bushes!!! Maybe they're "nice" beetles!

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able mabel said...

Sometimes you just can't win! I told (warned) my kids that tomorrow is yard work day. We're hoping to get a veggie garden planted.

Robin said...

Gardening is great fun! I'm from VA where its so easy to garden! And moved to Atlanta where the ground is clay and hard and almost nothing grows except for some amazingly gorgeous hydrangeas but only if you can get a hole dug! I had no idea where to start gardening here because everyone was talking about amending the soil and adding this and that, none of which I had ever had to do before. So I found a garden club and joined it! I've learned lots about gardening and made lots of new friends! As far as the beetles, they have traps that you can buy, kind of like the bee jars that you see, but be sure to hang them away from your property because they do attract the beetles to them and you don't want to bring more to your house. Ask me why I tell you this? Maybe I might have hung one on my porch and had a huge infestation! Then I read to somewhere that I should move them!
Good luck! :)

Sydney said...

I laughed out loud when i scrolled down and saw the "happy camper" paired with the look on his face. Very amusing!

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