Gardening advice, please!

[steepholm]

I have very few plants in my garden, but one of them is a mock orange, which I bought because the scent reminds me of my father's own vigorous specimen, and hence my childhood. Alas, I've yet to get it to blossom, and I see today that its juicy tips are covered with black fly. What should I do? I'm loth to buy chemical nasties, and think that picking them off by hand may be a Canutish enterprise. However, I see that one can buy adult ladybirds online, who will happily scoff the little buggers. Has anyone ever tried that? Would you recommend it?

Ha - talking of childhood memories, I just remembered my first political insight, which probably dates from the time of the 1970 election. I remember asking my mother the names of the parties, and she duly told me they were called Conservative, Liberal and Labour - but I misshead the last one as Neighbour, and having been taught in school that I must Love my Neighbour I said, "I like that one best!" My mother, being a Labour voter herself, seemed quite pleased; but I don't think she ever knew the reason for my choice. It was around that time I decided to become a Man Utd fan, because I liked the colour of their strip. Of such random choices is a visceral tribalism born.

Comments

[emmaco.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've got rid of aphids before (but not on mock orange which is an environmental weed in Brisbane!) with a soap solution. It worked well!