Back To The Roots Garden Bag Review

It is gardening season and the hunt continues for economical and easy to use garden pots, containers or bags. This year I chose to try the Back To The Roots Garden Bag and am already loving it!

Lightweight  & Flexible

Nicely constructed and oh so lightweight! Lightweight without dirt of course; however, there are two handles at either end should you need to move the bag. The bag also slides easily.

I used my garden bag or planter dirt trick and used recycled to fill the bag about three quarters and then filled the remainder with dirt. This works great if planting annuals which have short or shorter roots. It is a short growing season in the upper midwest so many container garden with annuals, but these bags are definitely deep enough to plant vegetables or robust root tomato plants.

Filling the bag with old shipping materials and newspapers is a great way to reuse and reduce. I put the materials in a plastic bag and then seal the bag so water does not enter. I have done this for years and works like a charm while also saving money on buying dirt. Even if water does enter the bag I've never had any buggy surprises, just wet packing materials.

Give Back

The Back To The Roots Bag also comes with a charity give back of Grow One, Give One. A gardening kit and STEM curriculum will be given to an elementary classroom of that you can choose! by simply posting a social media photo of your raised garden bed.

What Can I Grow?

The general guidelines which come with the garden bag are PER each square foot section:

6-8 small root veggies

3-4 herbs or leafy green plants

1 large vegetable

I plan on using the three sections for 1 tomato plant, mixed herbs and probably a container type tomato plant.

Recommendation

I already love this garden bag and the three separate sections. So much handier than when I had single garden bags. The size is perfect for a deck or patio or container garden: not too deep and not too wide. I could easily put two bags side by side which would be six sections to plant.

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Scotts Hand-Held Lawn Spreader

 My Scotts handheld lawn spreader reviewed

Most homeowners love a lush green lawn and achieving that beautiful lawn can be a lot of work. Luckily for me, I have a small yard so taking care of it is not so bad. 

If you have a large yard you probably have a lawn spreader on wheels. I honestly don't have room in my garage for one more thing, so I found this handy little handheld lawn spreader. It is perfect for my small yard.

Features of Scotts Hand-Held Lawn Spreader:

Great for small yards

All sturdy plastic 

Fully assembled  and ready to go

Five spreader settings

Holds up to 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn products

5-Feet of broadcast 

Easy hand crank

Scotts recommends feeding your lawn with weed and feed or lawn food four times a year. I would only feed twice a year, once in early spring and then again in the fall.

Because we live only two blocks from a lake I quit using weed and feed because of chemical runoff into the lake. I still use my lawn spreader in early spring. I spread granulated lime and a couple weeks after that I spread grass seed.

The lime increases the PH balance and calcium in the soil for thicker greener lawns and improves the soil structure and root development. The grass seed is for new growth and helps choke out weeds. The spreader is perfect for small yards, gardens, and flower beds.

In the winter this little lawn spreader is a handy tool to spread ice melt on my driveway and sidewalks. Although I prefer spreading the lime and grass seed much better. Scotts even makes a battery-powered spreader. For this one, you will need two AA batteries.

Find more Product Reviews here: ReviewThisProductReviews.com

Scotts Wizz Battery Powered Fertilizer, Seed, and Ice SpreaderScott's 71133 HandyGreen Hand-Held Spreader

 

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Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Wifi Review

No sprinkler system? Sprinkler system envy this year? If you have to water a large area of land or just regularly water a garden bed then a wifi controlled hose timer may be for you. Newly planted landscaping definitely need attentive watering and a hose timer can be a great time saver to expedite watering.

After a large revamp of the garden beds this year it was clear the area needed frequent watering and it was also clear the location of the outdoor water faucets did not correspond with the area needing watering. Many hoses and hose extensions would be required along with constant monitoring and moving of the sprinklers.

I researched quite a few remote controlled or Wifi controlled hose timers in order to expedite the watering of the garden beds. Of course remote controlled hoses do not spare the gardener from moving the hoses! Pro Tip: End the watering by leaving the hose/hose timer in the area that needs the most water, then you can remotely start watering that area the next day.

Pros Of The B-Hyve

• Easy to setup
• Wifi "hub" is a plug in unit
• Phone App
• Easy to water manually via app
• Available in one, two or four zones
• Alexa compatible

Cons of The B-Hyve

• This is not necessarily a con, but the app contains alot of bells and whistles to customize a watering schedule.
• Wifi "hub" is a plug in unit so if you lose electricity and/Wifi the timer will not work
• When the remaining battery life is 30% the timer cannot be engaged via app

Recommendation

The B-Hyve Smart Hose Timer has worked flawlessly for this home. The unit has 4.5/5.0  stars with over 4,000 reviews on Amazon and the reviewers were accurate. I chose the one zone unit and never had any issues with its' performance. 

This would be a great gift for the gardener! One of those I always wanted, but have never bought... purchases!

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2022 In the Garden ~ A Review

2022 In the Garden will be a time of renewal, rebirth and refreshment of the earth and you! If you ask any gardener they will certainly tell you that time spent in the garden is Time Well Spent.

Whether you choose to garden for beauty or for bounty, one thing is sure, you should start with the best seeds that are available.  I like ordering my seeds from West Coast Seeds.  They supply seeds that are NOT TREATED!  This means that there are no chemicals added to your seed supply,  making it a much healthier choice. They have a wonderful website (https://www.westcoastseeds.com) that is full of fantastic articles to help you become a great ambassador of your part of the earth.  

I have been gardening with my family since the early 1960's and that is a long time ago now.  What I learned from my parents was that the earth needs us to be responsible for what happens in the ground around us.  We were composting and tilling the earth with organic matter long before it became chic to do so.  

In the years since then, much has changed in the gardening industry.  Many companies are selling you products that have been Genetically Modified (GMO). These plants are just now coming under scrutiny and producers are being forced to let you know if what you are purchasing is chemically modified.  With West Cost Seeds you don't have this problem at all.  Everything they sell is grown right and seeds are organic and Non-GMO!  This makes me very happy!  I don't want to grow anything that isn't natural or has been modified genetically.

West Coast Seeds is not only dedicated to helping people become better gardeners, they also want to educate them on what are best practices for sustainability and renewal of the ground.  Their website offers so many learning opportunities.  Articles on sunflowers, growing a garden that is bee and butterfly friendly, to squash pollination and more is all available to you.  You will even find recipes to use for all the produce you get from your gardening efforts.  This website and the company are tops in my books! 

I do hope that if you have some questions about gardening that you will take the time to check out West Coast Seeds website.  You will be amazed at the amount of information available to you!  West Coast Seeds will ship all across Canada and the USA!  

The season for gardening and growing has just begun, now is the time to order your seeds and get them started so that your bounty will be overflowing when it comes to harvest time.  

Happy Gardening to all of you!

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Reviewing Two Gardening Planner Visual Aids That Helped Me Get Started

Not counting tomatoes and squash, I have not been a successful gardener. And I would dearly love to have a productive vegetable garden. However, I am especially bad at starting my own seeds. I am also really bad at putting plants out too late in the season. Until this year!  This year I have had the help of two seed-starting guides. Today I am reviewing the Clyde's Garden Planner and my local Extension Service Garden Calendar. I haven't yet transplanted my seedlings outside but already am seeing much better results!

 

I have never had much success at starting vegetable seeds for gardens. I also have never had much success outside of growing tomatoes and squash. It always caused me to wonder - why could I grow enough tomatoes and squash to feed a small army but nothing else. Over the past couple of seasons I have learned that successful seed starting has to do with two main things; timing related to last frost and growing conditions. Here I am reviewing two things I am depending on this year with seed starting that relates to timing related to frost dates.

My Past Garden Failures - Not Understanding Frost Dates and Growing Seasons

My gardening style had historically been to buy all of the different vegetable plants I wanted, when they are available in the store, and stick them in the ground (or containers when I lived in the apartment) at the same time. Most - if not all - of those plants died.

Because I am a procrastinator, I often planted late in the spring. I now realize that it was warm enough then for the tomatoes and squash to be happy. But the cool weather plants withered away. And the plants that needed a longer growing season never had the length of time they needed to produce their vegetable.

When I did start seeds, I would start tomatoes indoors and they sprouted despite my ineptitude. If I was lucky enough (rather than skilled enough) to place them in a south-facing window, I ended up with excellent tomato plants. Otherwise, I ended up with super tall, super thin plants that died (I know now that this is called "leggy" and it's from lack of adequate light). I found that I could start squash plants outside by putting seeds in the ground by the time I got around to it (very late spring/early summer). But plants such as watermelon, cantaloupe, and pumpkin would grow vines but no vegetable. They didn't have enough time.

I have since learned that vegetable seeds need to be started in related to frost dates. Which means the "last frost date" which is the projected last day in the spring that your area could receive frost and the "first frost date" which is the projected first day in the fall when the temperatures are lowering and frost could appear. 

Last Frost Date and Counting Backward

Somewhere along the way, I learned that seed packets give directions about starting seeds. For example, my Amish Paste Tomato seed packets read "Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost."  That's very helpful. 

It is easy to do an internet search for your expected last frost date for that year. This year, mine is May 5th. But then it was a matter of using a calendar and counting back however many weeks for each thing I wanted to plant. I am not an organized type of person and this making lists from calendars and counting back was sheer madness for me.

Then I discovered Clyde's Garden Planner. Absolute relief. 

Clyde's Garden Planter was the best $7 I have ever spent. It is a simple sleeve of super thick card stock folder over, holding another piece of card stock that slides back and forth. You locate your average last frost date in the spring, slide the red line indicating the last frost to that date, and voila! You can easily and quickly see the recommended planting dates (and whether it is to "seed indoors" or "outdoor planting") of 21 different plants!

Easy as that!

I cannot adequately describe how helpful this one little visual tool has been.

More advanced gardeners will appreciate that at each end of the slide there is a wealth of information such as 

• how many ounces of seeds for a 10' row
• planting depth
• distance between rows
• distance between plants
• approximate produce yields per 10' row
• natural plant companions

Finally, turn the card over and you have the chart for summer and fall planting related to the first frost date expected in the fall. 

2022 Garden Calendar - WV Extension Service

The other visual aid that I was thrilled to find just a couple of weeks ago was this wonderful calendar. I received my free copy from a local family-owned nursery.

In this calendar, the pages are full of information about when to plant or harvest plants, reminders for gardening schedules (such as fertilizing, propagating, and watching for garden pests). 

As each area is very different, I will not go into more detail about this calendar. And while I knew that in the United States, we have the Extension Offices that we can contact if we have questions about things such as invasive insects. But I did not know that there was information such as this calendar available. At least at my local Extension Office.

If you are not aware of what your local Extension Office offers, it would be worth giving them a call or checking out their website. 

Related Links:

If you'd like to see a video of my Tomato and Pepper seedlings, click here. I am not an official "YouTuber". I started posting videos to show family and friends my progress on my land. Now that I've moved into my new home I have had a bit more to share and a bit more people interested in looking. 

I previously reviewed The First-Time Gardener Growing Vegetables by Jessica Sowards which has been an extremely helpful and encouraging book about gardening. 

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Swiss Cheese Plant Reviewed House Plant And Fashion Trend

There was always a Swiss Cheese Plant in our home when I was growing up. I did not know then that its Latin name is Monstera, but as a striking and larger than average house plant, it is certainly appropriate. As a child, I loved its jungle feel and the fact that it was bigger than me! 

It is a beautiful and stunning indoor plant. In the 1970's it was a staple houseplant in many people's homes and was a background feature along with other plants. 

Now it is again a very popular houseplant but it has taken more of a center stage being used as a real statement plant in a prominent position and even as a fashion trend. 

Monstera Leaves and aerial roots.

 

The Beauty Of A Swiss Cheese Plant

Grown as an indoor house plant this plant can grow to about  3 to 8 foot so it is a substantial house plant. 

The leaves are pliable and very soft to touch and a pretty light or dark green glossy colour. 

When the leaves are young they are of a solid heart shape. As they grow older the leaf develops splits in the leaf and this process gives it its name as it can look a little like swiss cheese. 

It can grow large but we can also keep it at a manageable size to fit the space. Though if you can let it grow as large as it will it looks even more stunning.

Mature Monstera Leaf With Split Against My Hand 

Native Growing Conditions Of The Monstera Or Swiss Cheese Plant 

It is often useful and interesting to learn where the plants we have in our homes come from and what their native conditions are so we can better replicate them and keep them happy in our homes. 

In native conditions in Central and South America, it grows under large trees in a jungle. In natural conditions, it can grow to up to seventy foot in height but it will not reach anywhere near this in a pot indoors. We can expect our plant to grow to approximately no bigger than eight foot if left to grow as big as it can. 

Monstera does like to climb and has aerial roots which grow downwards from its main stem. As a houseplant, we can help it mimic its natural conditions by putting in strong support like a stake. As it can grow quite floppy and sprawling otherwise it can brace itself against the stake and do what it would in a jungle pushing itself onto a neighbouring tree or tangled vine for support as it grows upwards. 

In its native conditions, this plant can flower a lovely white flower but it very rarely does as a houseplant. I have never seen a flower. So when you grow this plant indoors grow it for its beautiful glossy leaves of shades of green from light fresh green to mid and then dark green. 

Swiss Cheese Plant or Monstera

Care of The Swiss Cheese Plant.

For such a big statement plant it requires remarkably little care. If you do not think you are good with houseplants then this is one that is hard to get wrong. I think it is one of the easiest plants I have. 

It likes moist soil but never waterlogged, so regular consistent watering is best. As usual with house plants the best guide is the stick a finger about an inch into the soil if it is wet do not water but if dry or in this case nearly dry then water. 

The soil should be water retentive but not too claggy so a good houseplant and compost mix on the neutral to acid side is best. 

In its native situation it grows in the shade of large trees so do not place this plant in a sunny position. It needs a bright but shaded spot. It can cope with a few hours of the morning sun but absolutely no more than that. 

As its large leaves can get dusty over time I like to take a cotton wool ball soaked in warm water and just gently wipe across the leaves. I only do this when they look dusty. This used to be one of my jobs when I was a child and I still enjoy doing it. 

Monstera likes to be warm and loves humidity so an ideal situation is a heated bright bathroom where the light is filtered via blinds or obscured window panes and where the family take showers or baths.

Feed it regularly with Baby Bio or similar once a month and you will have a happy plant.       

  

American Plant Exchange Live Monstera Deliciosa Plant with Edible Fruits, Split Leaf Philodendron Plant, Plant Pot for Home and Garden Decor, 10" Pot

 

Swiss Cheese Plant Issues 

It can have pests and diseases such as whitefly, mealybug, spider mites, powdery mildew to name a few but I have never had an issue and if you keep it in conditions it likes it will be healthy. 

These infestations will rarely kill this plant anyway but look unsightly and weaken it so we have to control them and in this case I would use an insecticide or fungicide depending on the issue.

There are two things to watch for with the leaves. If you see a leaf or many leaves turning black then it is effectively that the plant has been sunburnt or scorched by being kept in a sunny place for too long. 

The individual leaf cannot recover from this so the best thing is the prune away that leaf from the bottom of the stem. This will only happen if it has been exposed to too much direct sunlight so is easily avoided. 

If you see the leaves turning yellow then we have overwatered. we must stop watering immediately, turn the pot and drain off any excess water and leave to dry. If very waterlogged we may be best repotting the plant into fresh dry soil and starting again with light watering. 

While it likes moisture it hates sitting in wet soil so this can easily be avoided by only watering when the plant is nearly dry.

All parts of this plant are toxic to pets so it is best to keep it well away from them. Another reason a bathroom may be the best spot.

The plant featured here was one I bought as a sale plant a few months ago and I had to do a lot of pruning away of damaged leaves and sun scorched leaves. It was very large but uncared for.  I have left one scorched leaf for you to see. This will need to be pruned away at the base. The plant was also unstable in its pot and rocking from its roots so I repotted in a new deeper pot so it is stable. My next job is to install firm support so it can climb. 

I reduced the plant considerably in size but as you can see there is a lot of new growth and one leaf is already mature enough to have developed splits. So I was really happy I rescued this plant! 

Swiss Cheese Plant old sun damaged leaf next to new young leaf. 

Monstera In Fashion Trend

Who would have thought this plant would have become so fashionable. I tend not to grow plants indoors or outdoors for fashion trends but because I love them. 

However, the trend is there for this plant to be used in wedding flowers, as centerpieces and large statement plants in prestigious offices.

People even cut a single stem with a large leaf on it and use it much as flower decoration in a vase of water, where it does look very striking.

It really suits an environment that is minimalist, clean and unfussy or where flowers would look too much. Its large size and dark glossy leaves do add understated style and substance.

There is even Monstera wallpaper which can look amazing as a real statement in the right place.

Leaf Wall Decals Monstera Leaf Tropical Plants Wall Stickers for Living Room, Palm Leaf Wall Posters Natural Green Plants Art Murals Vinyl Wallpaper for Bedroom Nursery Office

The Swiss Cheese Plant was so popular in the 1970's and then like many houseplants fell out of favour. However, now there is a thankfully increased appreciation of the beauty of houseplants and how good they are for us as well as looking beautiful and enhancing our home decor. 

Fashion and trends come and go but I hope the love and appreciation for houseplants are here to stay now and I will never fall out of love with this amazing plant. It will grace our home with its simple stunning good looks for a very long time. 

Monstera Swiss Cheese Plant Totem Pole - Live Plant in a 6 Inch Pot - Monstera Adansonii - Beautiful Easy to Grow Air Purifying Indoor Plant

More Gardening And Houseplant Reviews

Care Of The Intriguing Carnivorous Venus Fly Trap House Plant Reviewed.

Reviewing the Care Of Beautiful Anthurium Or Flamingo Flower House Plants

Reviewing The Growing And Care Of Dracaena As A Houseplant

Caring for A Mother In Laws Tongue As A Houseplant Reviewed

Reviewing The Care Of Living Stone Flowers or Lithops As Houseplants

The Spider Plant As A Houseplant Reviewed

Reviewing Caring For The Stunning Polka Dot Begonia House Plant

Reviewing The Growing And Care Of Bottlebrush Plant

Reviewing How To Take Care Of Your House Plants On Vacation

More Gardening Reviews On Review This Reviews

Diary Of A Wild Country Garden 

Essential Wildlife Gardening Gifts

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Metal Wind Spinners For The Garden Reviewed

 

Metal Wind Spinners For The Garden Reviewed

I wanted to buy a wind spinner to place in our garden for some time. I have admired them in others people's gardens and a few months ago we bought two!

How Metal Wind Spinners Add To A Garden

I do like a wind spinner in the garden. In this review, I am covering Wind Spinners that stake into the ground. There are also those we can hang up. They are a joy all year round. In the winter they are a lovely sight when perhaps there is not so much interest in the garden and when the sun shines on a cold frosty day they really do look gorgeous

In a storm or even just when windy they do spin round and provide lots of movement for a sculpture. In Spring they seem to compliment the emerging bulbs and fresh green shoots and spin more gently in the breeze.

In summer they may be calmer and with perhaps less breeze a more static feature but beautiful and providing height and a lovely focal point. In autumn we have the breezes picking up and the wind spinners back in action shining out as the plants start to retreat. 

If a garden needs a sculpture or a little drama and movement or even just in winter when it may be a little lacking in interest a wind spinner can provide a little colour and drama to the space. 

Cup Or Spoons Metal Wind Spinner

If the garden is full of colour a natural bronze or silver wind spinner can calm and ground the space complimenting the flowers while they bloom and be a constant in the ever-changing bud to bloom to fading process. Or a fun colour Wind spinner can simply add to the riot of joy!

The weather can be dull, windy, rainy, snowy or bright or golden sunlight and a wind spinner or two can really shine out in the garden and give it a beautiful constant focal point. 

Leaf Metal Wind Spinner In The Breeze!

Ours are two bronze metal wind spinners. I wanted ones that are robust, long-lasting, beautiful and timeless.

I also wanted ones that really spin fast in the wind and have a reference to nature so a natural shape and feel to them. 

Ours have integral long stakes that you simply push into firm soil. I love the way the metal shines when it is sunny and gives a gorgeous bronze glow.

They certainly do spin well in the winds yet have not fallen over or become damaged even in a recent storm. 

Metal Wind Spinner On Stake

Where To Site A Metal Wind Spinner

Keep them in a place clear from other vegetation. If they are too close to the other plants the plants can become tangled up in the spinner and that is not good for the plants or the wind spinner.

They do need to have a firm anchor in the ground. This can be into the soil itself or into pots  I have mine in pots on the patio and the stakes are firmly deep into the soil. You do need to test that they are firmly anchored and secure.

I also find watching our wind spinners very relaxing. A gentle breeze and they turn around slowly almost meditatively and in a storm they really spin round with energy! 

We have them in sight of our windows so even on a very windy cold or rainy day we can watch them in comfort. I think it is good if you can see them from a window so you can enjoy them all year round whatever the weather. 

Wind spinners take up little room and would be totally suitable for a large garden to a small patio area as long as they can be securely pushed into the ground.

 I have not noticed any particular noise from ours but some do emit a gentle sound when they spin. 

Leaf Metal Wind Spinner On Long Stake

Wind Spinners And Wildlife.

Much as I wanted a wind spinner, I was a little concerned at first that our local wildlife might not like them and stay away from our patio. 

I had read that they can scare birds away and even that they can be useful as a benign deterrent if you want to keep birds off fruit or vegetables or freshly sown seed. 

However, I need not have worried as our garden birds took no notice of them at all! 

The sparrows still come in small flocks to pick grit from our wall, flying straight over one wind spinner, the blackbirds visit the patio for food in the pots happily kicking out the soil to look for food in even the pot I had spiked the wind spinner and nothing seems to mind in the slightest. We currently have small birds scoping out the bird boxes and sparrows noisily debating over who gets the best place in the eaves this year.

Even the neighbour's cat is not remotely afraid of the wind spinners as he calmly sat watching them while washing his fur the other day.   

Leaf Metal Wind Spinner In Bronze

However, I must remember that our garden birds are very used to us and to us moving things around on our patio. They have never been hurt or afraid. It is pretty much their garden, we just visit it from time to time! In fact, during the breeding season, we often get chittered and scolded for daring to be in their garden! They are wild birds but very confident around us. 

I do however keep the wind spinners away from the bird feeders and the birdbath and any known nesting sites in the shrubs just in case they find it distracting.

If you are concerned about scaring the birds but want a wind spinner simply place it in an area where either you know birds do not frequent much perhaps close to the house and monitor it. If you do have seeds, fruit or plants you want to protect from birds a wind spinner placed nearby may act as a deterrent but I can't promise it. Success with that may depend on how your birds view you and your garden! 

Spoon Or Cup Metal Wind Spinner In Bronze

A Wide Choice Of Metal Wind Spinners

I think they make a beautiful gift for anyone who loves their garden and would like some added interest. Wind spinners are available in such a wide range of choices there is something for everyone. 

Ours are bronze look and one is a leaf shape and one is a spoon or cup shape.

 There are wind spinners of plain colours or many vibrant colours and everything in between. Many have gorgeous shapes and either beautiful colours or natural tones, all equally stunning.

 There is a wide range of sizes and prices from affordable to high-end. 

Wind Spinners, 84 Inch Garden Metal Large Windmill Kinetic Wind Sculpture for Yard Decor(Classical Flower, Copper Teal)

Solar Wind Spinner Willow Leaves-Improved 360 Degrees Swivel Multi-Color LED Lighting Solar Powered Glass Ball with Kinetic Wind Spinner-Metal Sculpture Construction-Outdoor Yard Lawn & Garden

Ironic Wind Spinners with Willow Butterfly Including Colorful Metal Petals-Enhance Decoration of Yard and Gardens- Dual-Direction 60 Inches Height Spinner - Decor with Statues and Sculptures

Stanwood Wind Sculpture: Kinetic Copper Wind Sculpture Dual Spinner - Dancing Willow Leaves

I would certainly buy more wind spinners for our garden and buy them as gifts. I love our bronze wind spinners and the next time we buy one it may be a cheerful brightly coloured one for fun. It was hard to choose just four for this selection but I have tried to show the variety available.  

More Gardening And Garden Product Reviews 

Gardening Articles On Review This Reviews

Diary Of A Wild Country Garden

Essential Wildlife Gardening Gifts

Raintree Earth Designs

 

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Why Insect Hotels Are Good For Wildlife And Gardeners Reviewed

Insect Hotel

Bug hotels or Insect Houses are an essential item in our garden. They are a feature in themselves and are a vital component of our wildlife-friendly garden.

Insect Hotels can be bought or handmade and are both equally effective. When you have a bug house you are aiming to attract all manner of insects and wildlife to gain a balance of insects in your garden which is vital if you are aiming to have a harmonious wildlife garden.

Insect Hotels Benefits To The Garden

Having an Insect Hotel in the garden is not entirely altruistic. The aim of any wildlife gardener is to use no pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides at all. 

These chemicals kill "pests" and beneficial insects equally in most cases and are not good for wildlife.

For the gardener, an insect hotel can attract all manner of bugs and many predators that will help us to keep a good balance in the garden thus eliminating the need to use pesticides. 

Bee on Daffodil

In the early days of converting a normal garden to a wildlife pesticide-free garden, this can take some nerve. A garden needs a natural balance of predator and prey.

If you or a previous garden have been using chemicals then stop, undoubtedly in the first year or so you will see greenfly and blackfly and all manner of pests eating our plants. This is because your garden became unbalanced. It is now for us to redress this balance and installing insect houses is one easy step.   

However, if we want a wildlife friendly garden we must resist the urge to use chemicals. Instead, we must attract the beneficial insects, spiders and predators to our gardens who will easily and quickly dispatch those pests eating our plants.

 A great way to do this especially in the early days is to have an Insect Hotel or several bughouses. Provide insects shelter and a food source and they will arrive. 

Insect Hotel In Garden

Personally in the first two years of taking on this garden, I simply did not grow plants I knew would be susceptible to aphid attack. The previous gardeners had used chemicals and had a very non-wildlife friendly garden, so I knew once I stopped all chemical use I would face some difficulties. 

It took a year or two to fully balance the garden again. I was lucky as my neighbours also stopped using chemicals which helps a lot as wildlife do not know about boundaries. It was so worth it as since then I have not had to spend any money on insect prevention, the predators do it all for me free of charge night and day! 

In this article, we will mainly talk about insect houses with a mention and further resources to our ground-dwelling beneficial creatures need as well.

Location Of an Insect Hotel.

A Bughouse or Insect Hotel is best located in a warm undisturbed spot in your garden. For insects, it is important it is in a fairly dry area so under the house or shed eaves, in a tree or against a sunny fence. 

Some may be a thing of beauty or they may be something you wish to hide from full view. Either way, it does not matter to the bugs as long as they can go about their business undisturbed. We like the look of ours so we do not make any particular effort to hide them. 

Who Lives in an Insect Hotel?

Close Up Of Insect Hotel

So what can you expect to live in your insect hotel?

Generally, you can expect a variety of insects such as ladybirds and woodlice. You will get spiders of course and hopefully bees or maybe wasps.

These are all beneficial creatures to your garden. These creatures need a place to shelter, raise their young and keep themselves and their young hidden from predators. 

You can of course just put up your insect hotel and forget about it, but It can be good fun to carefully observe your insect hotel to see who has taken up residence.

Types of Wildlife Hotels. 

It is better to have several insect-specific bughouses around the garden in suitable locations than one great big multi-bug house.

The idea is that each will be more suitable for one species than another. Of course, there is no way of knowing who will decide to take up residence! 

The rationale is that different species require different approaches. For example, a home to attract bees requires a warm sunny dry location. Ideally, it should face south or as near south as possible and the area in front of it would be clear of vegetation. It is important to be a few feet off the ground and secured strongly to a wall, tree or fence.  You can buy Bug Houses that hang up with wire or string, some that need nailing up an other Insect Houses with Stakes that can be put into the ground.  Ideally a variety of these in the garden is best.  

Insect Hotel In The Woods

Spiders are happy in a site with more cover where they can spin webs between tree branches and the insect hotel but in my experience, they are not too fussy.

In addition, while you are siting your bug houses spare a thought for ground dwelling creatures like hedgehogs who are also very beneficial to our gardens.

Hedgehogs are a species in serious decline. A lovely pile of wood and leaves in an undisturbed corner of the garden will go a long way towards helping these enchanting and ancient creatures. If you would like to take it a step further you can purchase a special house for them known as a Hogitat. Please read more about How To Help Hedgehogs In Your Garden  

Well Established Wood Pile 

If you are wanting to attract frogs and toads they will love a warm wet, damp environment in a shady spot down on the ground.

You can start a wildlife hotel at any time though you may be more successful if you put one up in early Spring or Autumn/Fall. 

Materials For An Insect, Bee Or Spider Hotel.

Ideally, you will have a bug house made of natural materials. The wood is best untreated with no paint or preservatives as that will only deter and harm insects.

Wooden tubes for insects in Bug House

If you are making your own do try to use items already in your garden to promote recycling within the garden. So small branches, hollow stems tied together, dried leaves, seed heads will all contribute to your insect hotel.  

The structure needs to be strong and solid with a sloping and wide roof to keep the rain out.

If you are buying a bug house with pre-drilled holes in the wood they should be smooth and if doing it yourself make sure there are no splinters. 

Think about the types of creatures or insects you want to attract and the habitat they require. 

Wood shavings for insects in bug hotel

Looking After An Insect Hotel.

You can expect an insect hotel to last about 2 years on average, maybe longer depending on the materials used. As it is made of natural material it will degrade over time. 

During this time it is recommended to clean it out at the end of each summer to remove any dead cells or insects and replace any worn-out sections. That is all that is really needed. 

Insect Houses Are A Learning Opportunity For Children

Bug houses are a great learning experience. It is also a wonderful fun and educational opportunity for children to learn about and appreciate the natural world. 

In a small wood near a busy residential area, primary school children have made insect houses to site all over the wood to help the local wildlife and they take great pride in their creations and interest in the inhabitants. 

Bug Hotel In The Woods Good For Winter Shelter

In our garden, we have a dry insect house 3 feet off the ground on a sunny fence, a log pile in a shady but warm corner to attract hedgehogs and in a corner near the garage a large saucer of water with dense habitat around it to attract frogs and toads. The spiders seem to make their home in many of these locations as well. 

 Having a bug hotel or two and making a habitat for wildlife is very enriching in our gardens and our lives.

Insect houses take up very little room, so most people could have an insect house in an outdoor space. The end result of all this care is a garden that is filled with the sound and sights of beautiful insects.

 Yes, we do still get greenfly and blackfly, but predator insects soon become aware of them and keep the numbers down or even eradicate them for me. We do perhaps have to accept some level of pest attack on our plants but when you achieve that crucial balance it becomes less of a problem.

I am certainly prepared to have some plant damage to know that I am not killing all insects indiscriminately. Chemicals kill both "pests" and beneficial insects.

I once had a houseplant that became invested with a type of whitefly, so as it was summer I put it outside during the day for a few days and the wasps ate all the flies for me and the plant survived.

Other insects like this gorgeous butterfly happily live in the garden now going about their daily lives and bring me a lot of joy. 

Beautiful Butterfly In Summer

People often think about the beautiful more visible wildlife like birds, but it all really begins with the small perhaps less beautiful or more scary insects. If we take more care of them they will help our gardens be more healthy and we will certainly see more birds and other gorgeous wildlife as well. 

 Without our negative influence of chemicals, over time the garden adopts an easy give and take, ebb and flow of natural processes and our plants and us benefit from that.

There are many useful and fun things you can do for wildlife in our own garden spaces, having a few insect hotels is a great start. 

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