What scares you the most?

For many it's snakes, some spiders while others flee from wasps and bees. I'll be the first to admit that I have had many moments of feeling like my heart just jumped out of my chest.

I also have not completely overcome my fears of several different creatures. I don't do scorpions at all!! Nor do I do the giant black hairy spiders! You know the ones I mean. The tarantulas they sell in some pet stores.

Thank God I don't have those here! Snakes still freak me out completely no matter what size they are. And spiders like the Garden Orb Spider pictured above can still give me the creeps when I'm working around them.

So what do I do about it?

The trick for me has been trying to understand the role that each insect has in an organic garden. It's a fact that pesticides will interfere with the balance of nature.

There is no pesticide created that will not harm the beneficial good bugs right along with the bad garden pests. The stuff you might spray to get rid of aphids is most likely going to kill your ladybugs.

There is a natural solution for every garden pest.

Lack of knowledge is a key to the fear of the unknown. I found it in my best interested to work at lessening my fears of insects and reptiles. I can't grow organic vegetables or maintain an organic landscape without biological pest control.

The trick is learning which are pests and which are beneficial predators. The Garden Orb Spider pictured above has a great big grasshopper rolled up for dinner. We have had many outbreaks of grasshoppers throughout the years. They can be devastating to most gardens.

Appreciation becomes a factor for overcoming my spider fears as well as knowing that if one should bite me it would be no less painful than perhaps the sting of a bee.

As Garden Orbs have taken residence in the garden,  I've never found one interested in me. They actually have poor vision and rely on vibrations in their webs. If I were to aggravate her I suppose she might react. Co-existence became possible with the Garden Orb and myself and tranquility took the place of fear. She eats the bad guys while I go about the business of enjoying my fresh organic produce.

Attracting beneficial insects to the garden takes on new life as we lay out our garden plans. Native plants, wildflowers and herbs are the easiest way to bring beneficial insects into your garden. They will serve as a valuable food source and bring your garden into balance. Begin plotting out the garden to include companion plants and create natural habitats.

Improving your soil will rejuvenate beneficial insects and microbes. The natural beneficial garden helpers are the ones we can not see. Adding plenty of organic matter will soon bring the added life to your soil that will take care of many garden pests. Your soil is the first place to begin in laying your foundation for natural pest control.

Providing a water source will assure that all the pollinators, birds, insects, frogs and lizards have what they need to sustain themselves and your garden. Water is essential for diversity. Consider adding a small frog pond and bird bath.

Find peace in your garden by learning more about natural pest control. Enjoy the wildlife while they help tend to your garden pests. Diversity is a beautiful thing that we can all invest in to enrich our earth and the futures of new generations.

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Pamela Kimsey

Pammy is a organic gardener in Southeast Texas who believes diversity with natural habitats is the key to a successful garden. With a background as a commercial grower and manager for a large wholesale nursery, she became quickly dismayed with the over use of chemicals and the effects they have on life and the environment.

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