Now, the gophers are gone, the roses are blooming again, a few Dahlias have sprouted. Now is the season of dead Alyogenes (blue hibiscus) and my time of painting rubbing alchohol on the branches of my one tree to kill the white scale. Here is a picture–the scale looks prehistoric. You can take a toothbrush and dip it in alcohol to rub off the bugs, but it takes time and patience.
Some happy things: lots of yellow squash from the vegetable garden, green beans, eggplants and sunflowers, too.
Diseased branch
- The dreaded late summer scale
Garden of Delights Blog 
Spray plants with horticultural in the Spring, Summer, and fall; use all season horticultural oil. Temp. should be below 90. Keep all leaves out of garden as ants and other insects use leaves as safe haven. Make sure that no neighbor is running their water runoff onto your garden, that could cause over watering and stress your plants or rot your roots . If anything is stressing your plants then your plants will attract insects. Also, Renew compost every year. Test your soil with local extension service once a year. Make sure neighbors are not sending ants onto your property because the neighbors are planting– at the boundary line– plants that repel ants; if they are, then set up ant baits at the boundary line. Make sure that your trees or neighboring trees are not infested with caterpillars, moths and beetles. If they are, then spray trees with horticultural oil in the Spring and early Summer. May need to hire this out.