Bugs That Are Good For The Garden

The Unsung Heroes of the Garden Ecosystem

For many gardeners, the sight of an insect can trigger an immediate sense of alarm. Visions of munched leaves, stunted growth, and decimated harvests often lead to a knee-jerk reaction: eliminate the pest. However, this perspective overlooks a vast and vital truth about the garden ecosystem. Not all bugs are bad; in fact, a thriving garden relies heavily on a diverse community of insects that perform essential roles, from pest control to pollination and soil enrichment. Embracing these beneficial bugs is not just a sustainable gardening practice, it’s a fundamental shift towards working with nature, rather than against it.

Beneficial insects are the unsung heroes of the garden. They are the natural predators that keep pest populations in check, reducing the need for chemical interventions. They are the tireless pollinators ensuring bountiful fruit and vegetable harvests, and the beautiful flowers that brighten our landscapes. Moreover, some insects play crucial roles in breaking down organic matter, contributing to healthy, fertile soil. Understanding who these allies are, how they operate, and how to attract and support them is key to cultivating a resilient, productive, and vibrant garden ecosystem.

This article aims to shed light on these invaluable garden inhabitants, dispelling the myth that all bugs are detrimental. By recognizing their contributions and creating an environment where they can thrive, gardeners can significantly enhance the health and productivity of their plants, fostering a balanced ecosystem that hums with life and natural resilience.

Predatory Pest Controllers: Nature’s Own Pest Management

One of the most immediate and impactful benefits of welcoming certain insects into your garden is their role as natural pest controllers. These predatory insects actively hunt, capture, and consume other insects, often targeting those we consider pests. By maintaining a healthy population of these garden guardians, you can dramatically reduce infestations of aphids, mites, caterpillars, and other destructive species, effectively creating a self-regulating pest management system.

Ladybugs (Lady Beetles)

Often the first insect that comes to mind when thinking of beneficial garden dwellers, ladybugs (or lady beetles) are beloved for their distinctive polka-dotted appearance. While the most common species are red with black spots, they come in a surprising array of colors and patterns, including orange, yellow, and even black with red spots. Both the adult beetles and their alligator-like larvae are voracious predators.

Their primary diet consists of soft-bodied pests, most notably aphids. A single ladybug larva can consume hundreds of aphids during its development, and adults continue to feed on these pests, as well as mealybugs, mites, whiteflies, and scale insects. Their appetite makes them incredibly effective natural pest control agents, capable of rapidly reducing pest populations in a garden.

The life cycle of a ladybug progresses from tiny yellow or orange eggs, often laid in clusters near aphid colonies, through four larval instars, to a pupal stage, and finally emerging as an adult beetle. Recognizing the larvae is crucial, as they are often mistaken for pests themselves. These spiky, dark grey or black creatures with orange or yellow markings are tireless hunters.

To attract and retain ladybugs, it’s essential to provide both food and habitat. Planting nectar-rich flowers like dill, fennel, cilantro, cosmos, and yarrow offers adult ladybugs a source of energy. Avoiding broad-spectrum pesticides is paramount, as these chemicals indiscriminately kill ladybugs and their food sources. Providing ground cover and undisturbed areas can also offer shelter for overwintering adults.

Lacewings (Green and Brown)

Lacewings, particularly the green lacewing (family Chrysopidae) and brown lacewing (family Hemerobiidae), are delicate-looking insects as adults, often characterized by their iridescent, lacy wings and golden eyes. However, it is their larvae that are the true powerhouses of pest control, earning them the nickname “aphid lions.”

Lacewing larvae are elongated, segmented creatures with prominent, sickle-shaped jaws. These formidable mouthparts are used to impale their prey and suck out their bodily fluids. Their diet is incredibly broad, encompassing aphids, mealybugs, thrips, whiteflies, leafhoppers, spider mites, and even small caterpillars. They are relentless hunters and can consume hundreds of pests during their larval development.

Adult lacewings typically feed on nectar, pollen, and honeydew (the sugary excretion of aphids), but some species are also predatory. The females lay tiny eggs, often on stalks, to protect them from ants and other predators. The larvae hatch, feed voraciously, then pupate in a silken cocoon before emerging as adults.

To encourage lacewings, plant a variety of flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen for the adults. These include cosmos, dill, coreopsis, and sweet alyssum. Providing some sheltered areas with dense foliage can also offer protection for adult lacewings and their eggs. As with ladybugs, avoiding broad-spectrum pesticides is critical to their survival.

Hoverflies (Syrphid Flies)

Hoverflies, also known as flower flies or syrphid flies, are fascinating insects that often mimic bees or wasps with their striped yellow and black bodies. This mimicry helps deter predators. While the adults are excellent pollinators, their larvae are exceptionally beneficial predators in the garden.

Adult hoverflies are commonly seen hovering around flowers, feeding on nectar and pollen, thus contributing significantly to pollination. However, the larvae of many hoverfly species are highly effective predators of aphids, scale insects, and thrips. These slug-like, legless larvae are often green, brown, or translucent and can be found slithering among aphid colonies, consuming dozens of aphids per day.

The female hoverfly strategically lays her tiny, white, elongated eggs singly or in small clusters directly within or near aphid colonies, ensuring that her offspring hatch into a ready food supply. After feeding, the larvae pupate, often clinging to a leaf or stem, before emerging as adult flies.

Attracting hoverflies involves planting a diverse array of nectar and pollen-rich flowers, particularly those with flat, open blooms that are easy for them to access. Favorites include asters, calendula, chamomile, dill, fennel, and coneflowers. Providing a consistent bloom throughout the growing season will help maintain a steady population of these dual-purpose beneficials.

Assassin Bugs

Assassin bugs (family Reduviidae) are a diverse group of predatory insects, ranging in size and appearance, but all sharing a distinctive, robust, piercing-sucking mouthpart (proboscis) used to dispatch their prey. Many species have an elongated head and a neck-like constriction behind the head, giving them a menacing appearance.

These formidable predators are generalist hunters, meaning they feed on a wide variety of insects, including caterpillars, leafhoppers, aphids, beetles, and even other larger insects. They typically ambush their prey, immobilizing it with a toxic saliva injected through their proboscis, then sucking out the liquefied internal contents. While highly beneficial for pest control, caution should be exercised as some species can deliver a painful bite to humans if handled carelessly.

The life cycle of assassin bugs typically involves an egg stage, several nymphal instars that resemble smaller, wingless versions of the adults, and finally the adult stage. Nymphs are also predatory, contributing to pest control from an early age.

To attract assassin bugs, provide a diverse habitat with a variety of flowering plants and some undisturbed areas. Many species are attracted to plants like marigolds, dill, and cosmos. Ground covers and perennial borders offer hiding places, making the garden a more welcoming environment for these stealthy hunters.

Ground Beetles

Ground beetles (family Carabidae) are an extensive and highly beneficial group of insects that primarily operate under the cover of darkness. Most species are dark, often iridescent, and have powerful jaws. They are swift runners and typically found on the soil surface, under leaf litter, rocks, or logs during the day.

Both adult and larval ground beetles are voracious predators. Their diet includes a wide range of garden pests, such as slugs, snails, cutworms, root maggots, cabbage maggot larvae, and various other soil-dwelling insects and their eggs. Some species also feed on weed seeds, providing an additional benefit to the garden.

The life cycle of ground beetles involves eggs laid in the soil, larvae that are also predatory and spend their time searching for food underground, pupae, and finally the adult beetles. Their nocturnal habits mean their pest control efforts often go unnoticed by gardeners.

To encourage ground beetles, provide undisturbed habitats such as mulched garden beds, ground covers, and perennial plantings. Reducing soil disturbance from excessive tilling can help protect their eggs and larvae. Avoiding broad-spectrum pesticides is also crucial, as these can easily wipe out ground beetle populations residing on the soil surface.

Spiders

While technically not insects (they are arachnids), spiders are exceptionally beneficial arthropods in the garden and warrant inclusion. Most spiders are predatory and play a significant role in controlling insect populations, often consuming more prey than insects in the same area. They are often misunderstood and feared, but the vast majority of garden spiders are harmless to humans.

Spiders employ various hunting strategies. Web-building spiders (like orb weavers, funnel weavers, and cobweb spiders) construct intricate silken traps to catch flying or crawling insects. Hunting spiders (like wolf spiders, jumping spiders, and crab spiders) actively stalk and ambush their prey on foliage, flowers, or the ground. Their diet is incredibly broad, including flies, mosquitoes, beetles, aphids, caterpillars, and many other garden pests.

Spiders typically have a multi-year life cycle, developing through several molts. They are present in the garden throughout the season, providing continuous pest control. Their effectiveness is due to their sheer numbers and diverse hunting methods, covering various niches within the garden.

To welcome spiders, create a diverse habitat with plenty of hiding spots and undisturbed areas. Ground covers, perennial plants, shrubs, and leaf litter provide shelter and prime hunting grounds. Reducing pesticide use is perhaps the most important step, as spiders are highly susceptible to chemical toxins. Tolerating a few webs in your garden means you’re hosting efficient pest managers.

Parasitoid Powerhouses: Stealthy Assassins of the Insect World

Beyond active predators that directly consume pests, another crucial group of beneficial insects operates with a more subtle, yet equally devastating, strategy: parasitism. Parasitoids are insects whose larval stage develops by feeding on or within a single insect host, ultimately killing it. Unlike true parasites that typically don’t kill their hosts, parasitoids are ultimately fatal. This makes them incredibly effective biological control agents, as they can specifically target pest species without harming beneficial insects directly.

Parasitic Wasps (Braconid, Ichneumon, Chalcid Wasps)

Parasitic wasps are an incredibly diverse group, ranging from microscopic species to those several inches long. Most are tiny, often less than a quarter-inch, and thus frequently go unnoticed by gardeners. They do not sting humans like their larger, more aggressive relatives; instead, their “stinger” is an ovipositor used for laying eggs.

These wasps are highly specialized, with different species targeting specific host insects. Common targets include caterpillars (e.g., tomato hornworms), aphids, whiteflies, scale insects, and beetle larvae. A female wasp will typically lay one or more eggs inside or on the body of a host insect. The hatching larvae then feed on the host’s internal tissues, slowly consuming it from the inside out. Once the larva is fully developed, it pupates, often emerging from the mummified remains of the host.

A classic example is the braconid wasp, whose larvae develop inside a tomato hornworm caterpillar. When ready to pupate, the larvae chew their way out and spin tiny, white, rice-like cocoons on the outside of the dying caterpillar, often leaving it as a grotesque but effective deterrent to other pests.

To attract these silent assassins, plant a wide variety of small-flowered plants that provide accessible nectar and pollen for the adult wasps. Dill, fennel, cilantro, parsley, yarrow, and sweet alyssum are excellent choices. Creating a continuous bloom throughout the season ensures a steady food source. Avoiding broad-spectrum insecticides is crucial, as these tiny wasps are highly vulnerable.

Tachinid Flies

Tachinid flies are a large family of flies that are often bristly and resemble houseflies, but many are larger and more robust. Like parasitic wasps, the adult flies are not directly predatory but their larvae are internal parasitoids of other insects.

Tachinid flies are exceptional biological control agents because they parasitize a wide range of important garden pests, including many species of caterpillars (such as armyworms, cutworms, and cabbage loopers), beetle larvae, adult beetles (like Japanese beetles), true bugs (such as stink bugs and squash bugs), and even grasshoppers. The female fly typically lays her eggs directly on the host insect, or sometimes on foliage where the host will ingest them. The larvae then hatch and burrow into the host, feeding internally until they are ready to pupate, eventually killing the host.

The life cycle involves the eggs, internal larvae, and pupal stage, often occurring within or near the remains of the host, before the adult fly emerges. These flies are often overlooked, but their presence indicates a healthy, balanced ecosystem where natural pest control is at work.

Similar to parasitic wasps, adult tachinid flies feed on nectar and pollen. Therefore, planting flowering herbs and open-faced flowers like dill, parsley, carrots (left to flower), and various composite flowers (like daisies and sunflowers) will attract them. Maintaining a diverse garden with minimal pesticide use is the best strategy to support these valuable parasitoids.

Pollinators: The Vital Connectors of Plant Life

While predators and parasitoids handle pest control, another group of insects is indispensable for the garden’s productivity and beauty: pollinators. These insects are responsible for transferring pollen between flowers, a critical step for the fertilization and subsequent development of fruits, vegetables, and seeds. Without them, many of our favorite garden plants would fail to produce a harvest.

Bees (Honey Bees, Bumble Bees, Solitary Bees)

Bees are arguably the most famous and important group of pollinators. This diverse order includes the well-known social honey bees and bumble bees, as well as a vast array of solitary bees like mason bees, leafcutter bees, and mining bees. While honey bees are managed by beekeepers, wild bees, especially native solitary and bumble bees, are crucial for the pollination of many garden crops and wildflowers.

Bees actively collect nectar for energy and pollen for protein, which they feed to their young. As they move from flower to flower, pollen grains adhere to their fuzzy bodies and are then inadvertently transferred to other flowers, facilitating cross-pollination. This process is essential for the reproduction of countless plant species, including most fruit trees, berries, squash, beans, and many other vegetables.

The life cycles vary greatly among bee species, but all involve eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults. Solitary bees often nest in hollow stems or tunnels in the ground, while social bees build complex hives. Sadly, bee populations worldwide are facing significant threats from habitat loss, pesticide use, and diseases.

To attract bees, plant a diverse range of flowering plants with different shapes, sizes, and bloom times to provide a continuous food source. Native plants are particularly beneficial. Good choices include clover, borage, lavender, bee balm, sunflowers, cosmos, and fruit trees. Provide a shallow water source, and for solitary bees, consider leaving some bare patches of soil or installing bee houses with hollow stems or drilled wood blocks. Crucially, avoid all systemic and broad-spectrum pesticides, especially when plants are in bloom.

Butterflies and Moths

Butterflies and moths, in their adult stage, are also important pollinators, though often less efficient than bees due to their slender bodies and less hairy legs. Nevertheless, they contribute significantly to the pollination of a wide array of flowers, particularly those that are brightly colored, fragrant, and have accessible nectar stores.

Adult butterflies are typically diurnal (active during the day) and are attracted to open, flat-topped flowers that provide a landing platform, such as coneflowers, zinnias, asters, and milkweed. Moths are predominantly nocturnal and are drawn to pale, fragrant flowers that release their scent at night, like evening primrose, phlox, and nicotiana.

The life cycle of butterflies and moths involves complete metamorphosis: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis for butterflies, cocoon for moths), and adult. While many caterpillars are considered pests, it’s important to remember that they are the larval stage of these beautiful and beneficial pollinators. Without caterpillars, there would be no butterflies or moths.

To attract butterflies and moths, create a “pollinator garden” with a continuous succession of blooms throughout the growing season. Crucially, plant host plants for their larvae. For example, milkweed is essential for monarch caterpillars, and dill, parsley, and fennel are host plants for swallowtail caterpillars. Avoid pesticides entirely if you wish to support these beautiful insects through their entire life cycle. Providing a shallow water source with landing spots and some sunny, sheltered areas will also encourage them.

Other Pollinators

While bees and butterflies are the stars, many other insects contribute to pollination. Various types of flies, including the aforementioned hoverflies, are excellent pollinators, especially for early-blooming plants. Some beetles, such as soldier beetles and scarab beetles, also feed on pollen and nectar, inadvertently transferring pollen as they move between flowers. Even ants can contribute to pollination of low-growing plants. Each plays a role in the complex web of plant reproduction, underscoring the importance of general insect biodiversity in the garden.

Decomposers and Soil Builders: The Ground-Level Transformers

Beyond pest control and pollination, certain insects and other arthropods play a critical, albeit often unseen, role in maintaining soil health and nutrient cycling. These decomposers break down organic matter, returning essential nutrients to the soil and improving its structure, porosity, and fertility. Without these unsung heroes, dead plant material would accumulate, and the garden’s nutrient cycle would grind to a halt.

Millipedes

Millipedes are not insects (they are myriapods), but they are common inhabitants of garden soil and are often mistaken for pests. Unlike their carnivorous cousins, centipedes, millipedes are primarily detritivores. They are slow-moving, cylindrical creatures with many pairs of legs, often found in damp, dark environments beneath rocks, logs, or leaf litter.

Millipedes feed on decaying organic matter, such as dead leaves, rotting wood, and other plant debris. By consuming and breaking down this material, they contribute significantly to the decomposition process. This helps recycle nutrients back into the soil, making them available for plant uptake. They also aid in the formation of humus, which improves soil structure and water retention.

While sometimes seen feeding on tender plant roots or sprouts if other organic matter is scarce, this is generally rare in a healthy, organic-rich garden. Their primary role is beneficial, acting as nature’s shredders and recyclers.

To encourage millipedes and other decomposers, maintain a healthy layer of organic mulch, such as wood chips or leaf litter, in your garden beds. This provides both food and habitat. Minimize soil disturbance and avoid chemical treatments that can harm the beneficial organisms living in the soil.

Springtails

Springtails (order Collembola) are tiny, often microscopic, insects found in virtually all soil and leaf litter environments. They are among the most abundant arthropods on Earth, playing a foundational role in soil ecology.

These minute creatures feed primarily on decaying organic matter, fungi, bacteria, and algae. They are crucial for breaking down complex organic molecules into simpler forms, making nutrients accessible to plants. Springtails are particularly important in the decomposition of fungal hyphae, helping to regulate fungal populations and facilitating nutrient turnover in the soil. Their grazing on fungi and bacteria contributes to a healthy microbial balance.

Springtails get their name from a specialized appendage called a furcula, located on their abdomen, which allows them to “spring” into the air to escape predators. Their presence is a strong indicator of a healthy, biologically active soil ecosystem.

To support springtails and other microarthropods, maintain a rich, organic soil environment. Incorporate compost regularly and use organic mulches. Minimize tilling, which can disrupt their delicate habitats and food sources. A thriving springtail population signifies a robust soil food web beneath your plants.

Dung Beetles and Carrion Beetles

While not typically found in most home gardens, certain scavenger beetles, including dung beetles and carrion beetles, play vital roles in broader ecosystems that contribute to overall environmental health, even impacting garden environments indirectly. Dung beetles are famous for rolling animal waste into balls and burying it, a process that sequesters nutrients, aerates the soil, and prevents the spread of disease.

Carrion beetles, on the other hand, specialize in breaking down dead animal matter. Both groups are essential for nutrient cycling, ensuring that organic materials are broken down and their components returned to the soil rather than accumulating and becoming sources of pathogens. Their activities improve soil fertility and prevent environmental contamination. While direct attraction to a typical vegetable garden might not be practical, understanding their broader ecological role highlights the importance of diversity in natural waste management.

Recognizing and Attracting Beneficials: Creating a Welcoming Habitat

The key to harnessing the power of beneficial insects in your garden is to create an environment that actively attracts and sustains them. This involves understanding their needs for food, water, and shelter, and then consciously designing your garden to meet those needs. It’s a holistic approach that moves beyond simply tolerating bugs to actively inviting them in.

Provide Food Sources

Different beneficial insects have different dietary requirements. While many predators and parasitoids feed on pest insects, adult stages often require nectar and pollen for energy and reproduction. Pollinators, by definition, rely on these floral rewards. Therefore, a diverse planting strategy is crucial.

• Nectar and Pollen Plants: Plant a variety of flowers with different shapes, sizes, and colors that provide accessible nectar and pollen throughout the growing season. Flat-topped flowers like dill, fennel, cilantro, yarrow, and cosmos are excellent for parasitic wasps and hoverflies. Composite flowers like coneflowers, asters, and zinnias attract a wide range of bees and butterflies. Avoid “double” varieties of flowers, as these often have reduced pollen and nectar.
• Host Plants for Larvae: Remember that many beneficial insects, especially butterflies and moths, rely on specific host plants for their larval (caterpillar) stage. For example, milkweed is essential for monarch butterflies, and parsley, dill, or fennel for swallowtails. Dedicate a small area of your garden to these host plants, understanding that they will be munched on.
• Allow Some Weeds: Some “weeds” like dandelions, clover, and wild mustard can be early sources of nectar and pollen for beneficials when other flowers aren’t yet in bloom. Consider tolerating a small patch of these or mowing them less frequently.

Provide Shelter and Water

Just like humans, insects need shelter from harsh weather, predators, and places to overwinter. They also need access to water, especially during dry periods.

• Undisturbed Areas: Leave some areas of your garden slightly “wild.” Piles of leaves, brush piles, or perennial plant stems left standing over winter provide crucial overwintering sites for ladybugs, ground beetles, and solitary bees.
• Ground Cover and Mulch: A layer of organic mulch or low-growing ground cover provides a microhabitat for ground-dwelling beneficials like ground beetles and spiders. It also keeps the soil moist and cool.
• Insect Hotels: “Bug hotels” or “bee houses” (bundles of hollow stems, drilled wood blocks) can provide nesting sites for solitary bees and overwintering spots for other beneficials.
• Water Source: A shallow bird bath with stones or marbles for landing spots, or a simple saucer of water, can provide a vital water source for many insects, especially during hot, dry spells.

Embrace Diversity and Interplanting

A monoculture is a desert for beneficial insects. A diverse garden with a mix of flowers, herbs, vegetables, and even some native plants will attract a wider array of beneficial species. Interplanting beneficial insect attractors among your vegetable crops can create “beneficial insect corridors” that help these allies find and control pests.

Minimize Chemical Intervention

This is perhaps the most critical requirement. Broad-spectrum pesticides, whether synthetic or organic, do not discriminate between “good” and “bad” bugs. They kill beneficials at the same rate, if not faster, than pests, as beneficials are often more sensitive or present in smaller numbers. Even targeted pesticides can have unintended consequences. When you eliminate beneficials, you remove nature’s own pest control, often leading to a resurgence of pests that can be even worse than before. If pest control is absolutely necessary, opt for the least toxic options, apply them sparingly, and only to the affected areas, not broadcast over the entire garden.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Beneficials: A Holistic Approach

Integrating beneficial insects into your gardening strategy is a cornerstone of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques, including biological control (using beneficials), habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. Chemical intervention is used only as a last resort, and then, only with the most targeted and least disruptive options.

The principles of IPM align perfectly with supporting beneficial insects:

• Monitoring: Regular scouting of your garden allows you to identify pest problems early and assess the presence of beneficial insects. Often, if beneficials are present, they will naturally control minor pest outbreaks.
• Identification: Correctly identifying both pests and beneficials is crucial. Many beneficial larvae are often mistaken for pests and inadvertently eliminated. Knowing who your allies are prevents accidental harm.
• Prevention and Cultural Practices: Healthy plants are more resilient. Good soil health, proper watering, adequate spacing, and crop rotation are all cultural practices that reduce pest pressure and thus the need for intervention, allowing beneficials to thrive.
• Biological Control: This is where beneficial insects shine. By creating a welcoming habitat, you actively promote biological control, allowing predators and parasitoids to naturally regulate pest populations. In some cases, beneficial insects can be purchased and released, but creating a self-sustaining population is more effective long-term.
• Pest Thresholds: Understanding that a few pests are acceptable (and often necessary to provide food for beneficials) is key. IPM encourages acting only when pest populations reach an “action threshold” that warrants intervention, rather than striving for a completely pest-free garden.
• Targeted Intervention: If intervention is required, IPM prioritizes non-chemical methods first. If chemicals are necessary, it advocates for selective, low-impact products (e.g., insecticidal soap, horticultural oil) applied precisely to the problem, minimizing harm to beneficials.

By adopting an IPM philosophy, gardeners learn to appreciate the dynamic balance of their garden ecosystem, fostering a healthier environment for plants, insects, and themselves.

Dispelling Myths and Embracing Biodiversity: A Final Thought

The journey to a more natural, sustainable garden often begins with a shift in perspective: from viewing all bugs as enemies to recognizing the intricate and indispensable roles many insects play. The idea that a “clean” garden is a healthy garden, free of any visible insects, is a myth that perpetuates the overuse of pesticides and undermines the very ecosystem we strive to cultivate.

Embracing beneficial bugs means embracing biodiversity. It means tolerating a bit of leaf damage knowing that the natural pest controllers are at work. It means planting a wider variety of plants, including native species, to provide continuous food and shelter. It means being patient and observing the fascinating interactions happening in your garden, rather than rushing to eradicate every perceived threat.

A garden rich in beneficial insects is a resilient garden. It’s a garden where nature’s balance is allowed to flourish, reducing the need for constant human intervention. By becoming stewards of these tiny, yet mighty, garden heroes, we can cultivate spaces that are not only productive and beautiful but also vibrant, living ecosystems that contribute to the health of the wider environment. So, next time you spot a bug, pause, observe, and consider: could this be one of your garden’s greatest allies?