2026/34 - Creepy Crawlies are my motivators

It's no secret I adore flowers. I garden because of it. But ever since I became aware that we are rapidly destroying our environment, and not just over here in the Dutch Delta, I came to realise that I needed to help insects in the only, small way that I am able to. So I try to provide a good habitat for the creepy crawlies that have made Hunky Dory their home, by planting lots of nectar plants and by leaving alone the wild flowers that appear. And by the way, I don't think the crawlies are creepy at all. Now a Rattlesnake, that's a creep.

Renée, you idiot, I hear you say. That spider on your Phlomis eats insects, so what the, etc.

Well, actually, yes, this Philodromus spec., or  Turf Running spider, what we call a common 'renspin' in Dutch (ren = to run, spin = spider) eats insects, but I still qualify it as essential for the circle of life in my garden. It is harmless to humans, unlike its cousin Philodromus dispar, the zwartrugrenspin (black back spider). Last year I was bitten by an unknown beastie whilst weeding, and I now suspect it was by this P. dispar. I got a nasty allergic reaction which made my entire hand swell up to baseball glove proportions.

Some more spiders, well...'some'...This nest is in my Daphne in my balcony garden. Due to living at the back of a harbour, I suspect this is the Garden spider, or Cross Spider (yes, we call it kruisspin). Araneus diadematus is considered a pest by my neighbours, who hire men with poison to eradicate them, as we have masses of them every year. But they are very useful in eating the mosquitoes that also frequent the harbour!! So they are welcome to live on my balcony.

One of my beautiful Desdemona roses with another Turf Running spider, hiding itself well.

What is that on my Monarda? Hm...it looks like a cross between Spilostetus saxatilis and Lygaeus equestris... Pretty sure it is from the Lygaeidae family, who are very prolific in Hunky Dory. They all love the Monarda.

I hope I have correctly identified this as a Miner Bee, one of the bees that fly up to my 4th level appartement to visit my yellow Wallflower. Isn't it gorgeous? When my Daphne was still in bloom a month ago, it also attracted some bees, Miner as well as Bumblebees. And from the state of the leaves of my Clematis last year, I was also visited by leafcutter bees. I think them very brave to fly up to this height.

Definitely one of the bees that visit my garden most often, here buzzing away on the Echinaecea. They also frequent the Artichokes, and sleep in the flowers.

Hahahahaha, crowded in there.

Could this be a Halictidae? Or a Syrphus ribesii, which to my inexperienced eye looks exactly the same? I suspect the latter. But both are equally welcome.

No, this is NOT the Lesser Spotted Potato. Looks like a Ladybird, or Coccinellidae, sort of. The Asian, invasive kind. As it eats our native Ladybirds, I frown (a bit) on its presence in my garden.

Here is another one, Asian. In fact I hardly see native ones any longer...

There be dragons...

These dragonflies are pretty rare in my garden, so I am always very happy to spot one.

Two post-coital striped Pentatomidae, or Graphosoma italicum, or what we call pyama bugs on the Wild Carrot. So pretty.

I hope you have enjoyed my insect tour of my garden. Have a good week, wherever you are.

Renée Grashoff