The ichneumon wasp pictured above is a most useful inhabitant of the garden.  It is the lemon tree borer parasite (xanthrocryptus novozealandicus).


The female wasp pushes through wood with her ovipositor to lay her eggs in the larvae of the lemon tree borer.


This wasp is native to New Zealand but it is also found in Australia and New Guinea.

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This long-legged fly is one that you want to see in your garden.  But with a body length of only 3 to 5mm you need to look carefully to see this tiny, iridescent creature.


It spends its day feeding on  pests suchs as thrips, aphids, spider mites and fruit flies.

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Bethel sage flowers from mid-summer through to the beginning of winter.  (Longer in mild climates.)

The flowers  are large, striking clusters of beetroot coloured balls and tubes.

A long-legged fly resting on a bethel sage leaf . Long legged flies are highly beneficial garden insects.

Its leaves are bright green with stalks and veins the same colour as the flowers.

A newly hatched monarch butterfly sunning on a bethel sage flower.

Bethel sage:

• Grows to around 1.5m high  x 1m wide.
• Grows in full sun to light shade.
• Does well in ordinary to moist conditions but will need to be deep watered once a week in very dry summers.
• Dies down in winter.  The canes can be left on the plant to protect the crown over winter then cut back to ground level at the beginning of spring.

A bumblebee waiting for the day to warm up.

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Dainty, bright green, heart shaped leaves cascading down the side of a pot or hanging basket is enough to recommend fuchsia procumbens to any gardener.

Look carefully between the leaves and you will see the plant's unusual yellow flowers tipped with blue pollen.

The photograph below shows two male flowers.

The flowers are followed by bright red fruit the size of olives.

The fruit of the fuchsia procumbens is attractive to birds but you don't have to worry about spreading unwanted weeds - fuchsia procumbens is a New Zealand native.

A female flower is shown in the photograph above.


Fuchsia procumbens:

• Is also called creeping fuchsia, native fuchsia, climbing or trailing fuchsia.
• Flowers from September to May
• Can be used as a ground cover, or in pots or hanging baskets
• Grows to a height of 20cms and will spread 1.5m.   
• Is frost tender and deciduous in colder climates.  
• Prefers semi shade but is a remarkably adaptable plant and can be grown in most soils and situations including dry shade.

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Dogbane (coleus canina) is a native of South Africa It is also known as Scaredy cat or pee-off plant.


The semi-succulent leaves of dogbane give off a pungent but not unpleasant odour when crushed.  Not unpleasant to humans that is - Cats and dogs find it repulsive.  With their sensitive noses they smell the plant without the leaves being crushed and  avoid it.


I tested the pet repelling properties of dogbane on my cat.  She certainly wrinkled her nose, looked disgusted and ran off when I crushed some of the leaves and held them out to her.

Dogbane is an interesting addition to the garden apart from its use as an animal repellent. 


Before they open a succession of pretty, sky blue petals, its plump, brown blooms resemble spiky insects. 


Dogbane flowers throughout spring and summer. 




The plant grows to a height of around 40 cms. It spreads by forming roots where its stems touch the ground.  Dogbane can be easily grown from cuttings.  It prefers a well drained soil.  It will grow well in sun or semi-shade. I would recommend a position that avoids the strong midday sun as too much sun and not enough moisture turned the leaves of my plant an orange/grey colour.

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The photograph above shows a katydid nymph coyly taste testing a fuchsia leaf.

The katydid must have liked the taste because it ate a large portion.

Undeterred by its audience the unrepentant katydid is looking for another leaf to munch.  But that's OK they don't do a lot of damage.


The photograph below shows a tiny katydid nymph perched atop a prickly thistle bud, using the spines  to protect itself from predators.

The next photograph shows a red/pink katydid nymph photographed on 09/01/2011 in my Auckland (NZ) garden.


This is an unusual colour for a katydid.  


It is thought the colour is due to a diet of red and pink flowers. They revert to green when they reach maturity.


Oddly I found this one sitting on the red lid of my council wheelie bin.  Possibly it was using this for camouflage.

Katydids are named for the sound the American katydid makes by rubbing its forewings together - "Katydid! Katydidn't!"  A file like structure on the bottom wing is rubbed against the sharp edge of the top wing.  This method of making sound is called stridulation.


Both the male and female sing.


They hear through ears on their front legs below the elbow called tympana.


Alternative names for the katydid are bush crickets (UK) or long-horned grasshoppers.


Katydids belong to the family of Tettigonidaes.  


They can be distinguished from other grasshoppers by their long antennae which can exceed their body length by two to three times.  This is to help them to navigate in the dark.


Katydids are predominantly nocturnal.

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