Seed-sowing season is drawing to a close, and even if you started your garden a bit late, you may have the beginnings of what will become beautiful peppers, eggplants, tomatoes and whatnot. Which means it's now the season to get vigilant about bugs.
Rather than spraying down your food plants with nasty chemicals, you may want to try growing some of the aromatic plants suggested by P. Allen Smith for natural pest control. I love the way artemesia looks, but it's VERY important to note, as this article does, that it gives off a toxin, so it's more of a flower-border sort of plant. Not every gardener is crazy about marigolds or sunflowers, but I've had luck with lavender in very sunny spots, and hyssop; both those plants offer the bonus of attracting lots of pollinators to your garden, too. --Stefene Russell
