Get the Good 'ole Bugs in Yer Garden, easy!

Here’s how to roll out the welcome mat to friendly bugs, Southern style, usin’ what you got at home.

Let’s talk about gettin’ them good bugs to settle in your garden without spendin’ a dime more than you gotta. We know a thing or two about workin’ with nature to keep the crops thrivin’. You want ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, them little parasitic wasps, and all them pollinators like bees and butterflies buzzin’ around. They’ll keep the pests in check and help your flowers and veggies pop off. 

1. Plant a Mess of Bug-Lovin’ Flowers and Herbs
   • Why it’s good: Bugs round here ain’t picky, but they love a good feed. Plantin’ a mix of stuff gives ‘em nectar and pollen all season, like a buffet at the church potluck.
   • What to do:
     • Throw in some marigolds, zinnias, or cosmos—cheap as dirt and easy to grow from seed. They pull in hoverflies and bees like moths to a porch light.
     • Let your herbs like dill, cilantro, or parsley go to flower. Them little blooms are like candy for parasitic wasps and ladybugs.
     • Get you some locals like black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, or butterfly weed (that’s milkweed’s cousin) to keep the butterflies and such happy. Hit up a neighbor’s garden or a local seed swap for starters.
   • Money-savin’ trick: Buy a pack of seeds once, then let ‘em go to seed. Next year, you got free plants. Zinnias and marigolds’ll spread like gossip.
2. Give ‘Em a Place to Hunker Down
   • Why it’s good: Good bugs need a spot to hide out from storms or critters, and to raise their young’uns. A little shade and cover go a long way.
   • What to do:
     • Leave a corner of the garden wild—some old leaves, a stack of sticks, or tall grass. Ground beetles love that mess.
     • Slap together a bug hotel with scraps—think old cane stalks, pinecones, or chunks of wood with holes drilled in ‘em. Stack it in a shady spot for bees and lacewings to crash.
     • Don’t mulch every inch of dirt; leave some bare patches for them ground-nestin’ bees to set up shop.
   • Money-savin’ trick: Use what’s lyin’ around—broken branches, leftover lumber, or that pile of prunings from your pecan tree. Ain’t no need to buy fancy.
3. Set Out a Waterin’ Hole
   • Why it’s good: Bugs get thirsty, ‘specially when the sun’s beatin’ down like a hammer. They need a shallow spot to sip without drownin’.
   • What to do:
     • Grab an old pie tin or jar lid, fill it with rocks, and pour in just enough water to keep it wet. Set it by your flowers or under a tree.
     • Butterflies and bees’ll swing by for a drink. Swap out the water every few days so skeeters don’t move in.
   • Money-savin’ trick: That chipped plate from the cupboard or rocks from the creek bed work fine. Don’t cost a penny.
     
4. Keep the Poison Off the Table
   • Why it’s good: Sprayin’ anything—store-bought or homemade—can run off your good bugs along with the bad. Let nature sort it out.
   • What to do:
     • If aphids show up, pinch ‘em off or blast ‘em with the hose. Ladybugs’ll handle the rest if you give ‘em time.
     • Let a few pests hang around—they’re dinner for your good bugs. Think of ‘em as bait.
     • Plant marigolds or nasturtiums near your veggies to shoo away the bad critters without hurtin’ the helpers.
   • Money-savin’ trick: Make your own compost from kitchen scraps and grass clippings. Healthy soil means tougher plants that don’t need spray.
     (SEE OUR BLOG POST ON TURNIN' TRASH TO TREASURE)
5. Keep the Blooms Comin’ All Year
   • Why it’s good: Down South, we got a long growin’ season, so you wanna keep somethin’ bloomin’ from spring to frost to keep bugs fed.
   • What to do:
     • Start with early stuff like mustard greens that flower or sweet alyssum. Then roll into summer with sunflowers or lavender, and finish with asters or goldenrod come fall.
     • Check what grows best in your neck of the woods—your county extension office’ll tell you for free.
   • Money-savin’ trick: Trade seeds with the old-timers at the feed store or join a plant swap. You’d be surprised what folks give away.
6. Know Your Local Critters
   • Why it’s good: Bugs round here are used to our red clay and humid nights. Stick with what they know, and they’ll stick around.
   • What to do:
     • Figure out who’s who—mason bees, green lacewings, or them zippy little hoverflies. The extension folks or a local garden club’ll point you right.
     • Skip them fancy foreign plants that don’t feed our bugs. Native stuff like coreopsis or wild bergamot works better.
   • Money-savin’ trick: Take a walk in the woods or down a backroad to see what’s growin’ wild. If it’s legal, grab a few seeds to try at home.

A Few Words of Wisdom:

• Start with a patch of flowers and a little bug shack to test the waters.
• Don’t expect a swarm overnight—takes a season for the bugs to call your place home.
• Keep an eye out at dusk or early mornin’ to see who’s movin’ in, and tweak as you go.

This’ll get your garden hummin’ with good bugs without breakin’ the bank.