Kate that looks great!! I'd say Great come back!

They sure look nice all planted up again Kate. You'd never know they had been through so much trauma.

I'm with Bev - those grubs are gross!!!

I was thread surfing and came across this,must admit my skin is crawling wasn't expecting that bucket of yuck!!! I have grubs here but those are some kind of super species of grub they look like they could just carry them poor semps away.I have a movie my DGS watchs running through my head "a bugs life'' only with huge grubs invading the ants.

Are they every where or live in certain parts of the country or wait your in shoot your far away right?? usually i find grubs in damp spots,you wouldn't think a bug in the worm under ground dwelling family would be in damp soil not in a dry rock bed.Super grubs were getting all the water they needed out of them babies.
I am glad you figured that out that was like watching a horror movie reading that as it unfolded i had all kinds of things going through my head and then that picture of the "BUCKET" .

We fish with grubs you should have tried feeding them to a pond of catfish that would have been satisfying to watch!!!! Have to stop thread surfing,it's rained 3 days i need to go check my beds, my semps and HB are still where i put them and not down back i hope!!!!

Crane flies are pretty prolific here, but I've never come across anyone with a problem like this before Jojoe. They were happily munching away under the lawn until disturbed them to make my bed. Come to think of it I've never had a very good lawn, but it was in such a state when we moved in (jungle like) that I've never expected much from it. But it looks like this is the reason. I used to have a large tropical tank (5ft x 3ft) with catfish and a puffer fish in. If the cta fish couldn't get through them I'm sure old puff's teeth would have done the trick! I miss my Mbu puffer - he was awesome.
I hope that it's stopped raining for you to check your beds

Just a little update, Thanks to your article Lynn, I found an insecticide that promises to do the trick and ordered some, even though I can't use it until September! And while grocery shopping today I happened to browse around the flower stand (occasionally they do plants as well) and found a half price pot of Campanular. I've never seen it there before! It's a little tired looking, but nothing that a new pot and a good drink wont cure. Now all I need is to find a long narrow container to sit on top of my steps and it'll soon grow down hide the ugly wall at the side of my bed I think I'll go scouting around work tomorrow to see if anything fits the bill

Good going Kate.
Taking care of the grub problem, and coming up with a great garden design for the steps.

What a gal, you are! and your ingenuity is much admired on this side of the pond...
Guess we better be careful what we suggest to you; you might do it?

Funny you say that, I have had random little semps and buttons pulled out the soil, I assumed it was birds too. I have a colony of sparrows on the house opposite but they're too small, so I am guessing it's the magpies I have spotted on the roofs! Funny things birds, I don't mind, as long as they enjoy the stuff they steal

For me it is the Blue Jays. They are such pranksters. They pull them up and leave them lay in the same area.
Silly birds.

I have squirrels digging up not just my beds but the whole yard.My dog passed last year and he would chase anything that moved.I once seen him run into a tree while looking up chasing a bird. He was a mini Dachshund and he chased everything except the deer when they had babies because they would chase him off.
Seriously,I love watching the squirrels & they need to eat as well and they aren't eating any plants.They are digging for acorns & end up digging up plants.Which this has led to some Sedum cuttings getting dug up & i don't see it before the little rooting are uprooted & cooked in the sun.They weren't a problem until this.

I have some of the plantskydd but it says there's a granular type for smaller rodents rabbits,squirrels etc... I can't find it for sale any closer than Atlanta.Ordering it is an option it's $10. for 1lb. but $13. for shipping & handling.

Wow, that gets a little expensive if you have to pay for shipping.
I wonder if this would work Jelinda? http://garden.org/ideas/view/t...

I hope you can find a more cost effective solution Jojoe But the tales of your dog made me smile x

Me too!! Love dog stories, or people stories or plant stories...get the hint, I love stories!

I love stories also.

Jelinda, can you get another dog?

Does anyone use river rock instead of pea gravel in their rock garden??

The hubby got a load of forest compost last summer.It has a lot of little sticks in it.They are rotting evidently because i put some down not to long ago and when i started planting in it i noticed a lot of ants all carrying a little bug.After i got an ant on my gloved finger that was carrying these bugs my hubby told me it was a termite.So i have termites eatting the sticks that are left after going through a wood chipper & ants eatting the termites in my beds! Is this a problem or not? I can put out granules to kill the ants and we dont want termites to close to the house.Should i let the ants eat the termites and then put out granules for the ants or can i find some granules or something that will kill both without hurting my plants??

As long as the compost isn't spread by the house I think you will be okay. They ants are doing their work at helping to keep things in balance.
Do you have a photo for us Jelinda?