Pests and Mysterious Disappearances

As you can see, we have green green green plants sprouting up in our backyard. I can't get a picture that accurately portrays how green and plucky the beds are. I feel so good every time I look at it. Patrick asked me when we're going to have some color back there. GOOD question. Hopefully when it warms up and the plants aren't shivering and shrinking! Filling the front row and sprinkled throughout are Marigolds and Nasturtiums and along the back fence are black eyed susans that I planted pretty late. Next year I'm going to start some clematis there. I'm so thankful I planted the pansies. Next week I'm going to fill some pots on the back patio with colorful flowers to liven it up too. I have the perfect pots for some bright geraniums.

This week has been all about pests. I have black mold eating away at my roses, strawberries and tomatos (just starting). I sprayed them all down with a very diluted mix of apple cider vinegar and water. Got that tip on-line. The aphids love my back rose bush so I set out 1500 lady bugs all around my yard. The lady bugs love my pansies, especially the blue ones.

The most perplexing pest problem involves the mysterious vanishing of some of my baby plants.
Something is nibbling on certain plants: the marigolds, bell peppers, tomatillos and catmint especially. I sprinkled eggshells around all the little babies in an effort to discourage slugs and snails. Over the last 3 nights I have lost one of these plants per night. They just disappear, leaving only a circle of eggshells. The catmint was first so we figured it was probably the cats. But now a pepper plant is gone. Completely gone, no slime trail, no remnants. My expert gardener consultant (mom!) recommended setting out some of those garden fans, so I'm going to try that. She said that when the wind blows it sometimes will startle birds and the vibrations will discourage moles. There is no sign that we have moles, but we do have many small birds twittering around. I may also try some beer sink holes for the slugs, although I haven't seen many of them around yet.