Irritations in the garden

Country Notebook

By Rogene "Jeannie" McPherson, Journal columnist

Ants, ticks, bees swarming around the native redbud blossoms, green little worms, gray big worms, mosquitoes, and a rather furious wasp eager to take a bite of flesh from my arm are the insect-types watching over my spring work in the garden.  Oops, I forgot the lady bug minding her own business. I’m amazed how these minuscule creatures can cause so much human grief in comparison to their size.  I had hoped the freezing temperatures had hastened the demise of the tick, but of course, not. Those the size of a pin point have invaded my arms and under my waistband inflicting some terror if not from itching, but from fear of Lyme’s disease.

Let’s not give just the insects the right to frustrate gardeners like myself.  I fertilized the front yard early in the season only to add fuel to henbit and chickweed. But I don’t give up easily. My arsenal includes multiple containers of chemicals promising the killing of more than 450 weeds, but not the grass. 

So far so good except for the dreaded wild onion. A costly mistake years ago has allowed those undesirables to multiply everywhere but especially my lawn. Experts have suggested chemical treatments, but tell that to a bunch of onions and if they could, would laugh at the thought of poison. The most effective way to get ahead of them is digging. It’s not 100% satisfaction guaranteed, but I have made progress where they were dug out the previous year.

I am told by conservation experts, the ideal solution is keeping the lawn thick so that the onions are squeezed out. Of everything I know about wild onions, this latter idea as well as digging them out are the most successful. Some well-meaning friends have advised just letting them go, but soon that is all I would have. 

Above, I spoke of a costly mistake. A back to nature friend when seeing them along the roadside, suggested we gather onions for cooking. Upon advisement from the internet, wild onions are not edible.  This individual threw the fresh onions into my lawn to decay. The rest is history. Just as disgusting, is that they eventually spread to farmland next to the lawn. Even the strongest of the strong herbicides do not kill the onions permanently. They are knocked down for the season, but like a good wrestler, are back up early the next round. 

As we approach Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, my thoughts travel to why our Creator created what I have implied are disgusting, dangerous living plants and insects making a human life uncomfortable and sometimes ill. I really should know better as God has purpose for what He creates.  My ecological friends tell me I shouldn’t be negative about opossums as they help maintain an appropriate number of ticks as part of the food chain.  Ok, I can believe that reasoning, but what good are ticks?  

According to https//ticksafety.com, the population of ticks tell scientists how the ecosystem is doing in general, serve as food for animals, keep animal populations regulated by preying on weaker or ill species, and being an integral part of the ecological systems due to the micro-organisms they contain. 

I’m not done yet. This one could be the best reason of all. The molecules from the tick’s salivary glands are being investigated for use in human and veterinary medicine. 

Maybe it’s time to quit complaining about the undesirable creatures and focus on using more insect spray. After all, someone is being employed to create preventive ways to keep ticks, mosquitoes, wasps and other flesh eating insects off human skin and inventing creams to reduce itching. But, don’t expect to see a sign in my yard on Earth Day saying, “Protect the Ticks!”

Now that I have that off my chest, just don’t let me get started about dandelions!

Rogene “Jeannie” McPherson, from the Centerville area, is a regular contributor to the Linn County Journal. Her latest book Posts from the Country, Adventures in Rural Living is available online at Amazon.com, Thriftbooks.com, and Barnesandnoble.com.