Re: RE:Spiders - facing my fear!

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Hi folks,

 

I have long had a personal "difficulty" in dealing with spiders.  Can't stand the thought of them too close to me, but I also appreciate the invaluable role that they play in the garden.

 

We don't spray any insecticides in our garden and therefore enjoy the many benefits of having a happy eco system at work. 

 

However, at this time of the year (bloom season) our garden comes alive with St. Andrews spiders (the ones that weave a neat little cross shape into their webs) plus other varieties including the large Huntsman spiders that live in the "garden house" (well, it's a bit nicer than a shed!), the white-tails (which are usually given a wide berth), the red-backs (which are fast!) and the large and truly scary-looking orb spiders.

 

The webs look great and do a great job of catching all sorts of "goodies" for the spiders to feast upon - but I don't like to be included in their menu!

 

As our Louisiana iris are quite tall (when compared to most bearded varieties - a generality noted here to the sake of the story!) I dislike having to put my face down into the growing clumps to make notes on the seedling tags because I invariably end up with spider web (and spider!) all over me. 

 

When taking photos (which is a major pasttime in bloom season) I often end up with more spiders on my clothes than iris pollen - and I don't care for it much, I can tell you. 

 

So, spare a thought for those valiant hybridisers who swallow their pride, try to ignore their fear and cope with creepy crawlies on a daily basis to ensure that you all have photos of nice iris to enjoy!

Like the "Mounties" I always get my photo.......

 

Cheers for now,

Heather Pryor

i*@pip.com.au