Goodbye Hibiscus

Sometimes you have to make a choice on what plants you have to banish from your garden - even when you've struggled for years on trying to save it. I used to grow pumpkins for years but I finally gave up because there's quite a few varieties of bugs here that attack the pumpkin. I loved growing them and sometimes I miss them but the aggravation of trying to save the pumpkins just drives me nuts.

Well, a choice was made today. The hibiscus is to be exiled and never to return to my kingdom.




Why? Because of these...



Sawflies. I've tried and tried to get rid of these suckers but it just ain't working. Sevin worked like a miracle but it required a huge fence around the three so that the dogs couldn't brush up against them. Once the plants get big and start blooming, I stop spraying because I just don't feel comfortable with the idea of bees and butterflies coming up to the plant and getting poisoned.

My fingers were crossed that the cold winter would kill these buggers but it hasn't done a thing. There's a huge cloud of 'em over the trio and it was a nightmare trying to get pictures when they were getting all over my legs and arms. Ugh.

I tried. I tried but ain't no saving them. They have to go.

And of course, an obligatory macro picture just to make sure the silly thing is functioning...