I was spraying my plants with neems oil/baking soda/soap this morning. Of course a new neighbor came over to lecture me about the "evils" of chemicals. She doesn't understand why everyone doesn't garden organically. As far as I can tell, this woman doesn't garden at all. I don't even know her name, she just walked up and started lecturing. I explained that am a Cornell educated chemical engineer and was spraying with neems oil, bla bla bla. She started in about the "chemicals" again. I explained that neems was natural and that you can even get an organic neems oil if you want to pay over 3x as much plus shipping. Good thing she missed me spraying the Bayer solution with the big green metal sprayer yesterday. Ironically, I believe in gardening as naturally as possible and only use chemicals when the natural methods fail, just don't like being lectured by ignorant busy bodies. I haven't been feeling well and am very low on patience lately.
I also spray around the building with dilute ammonia/canola oil/soap to deter slugs and earwigs. Each spring I have to put ant traps outside. I wonder if she will still have a no spray policy when her kitchen is over run with ants and earwigs. I kind of hope that one of the voles follow her home and to eat her granola. Then she will be too busy to bother me when I am busy fighting aphids.
Maybe the rain will wash off some aphids, at least. I would rather have rain this week than when my peonies are blooming. No rose blooms yet, but lots of tiny buds.
