Insects and companion planting

I am not sure if you can see it but if you look close you can see a baby praying mantis. It wasn't even half an inch long. I just happened to be out watering or something and saw it and made Alan take a picture of it for me. These are very good insects to have around. One day on our way out somewhere, we saw one at least as long at your hand, from the heal to the tip of your fingers. HUGE!! It was just walking in the road. I had to reverse to see it better. Another insect that is a gardeners friend is the lady bug. I saw a nymph today and went to take a picture but it was gone when I got back. Too bad, they are freaky looking and you might think them something to avoid or destroy, unless you know what they are. They eat aphids that suck the life out of your plants. I don't necessarily care for insects but I have learned that they serve a purpose and I can tolerate them at least. Roaches and camel back crickets being the exceptions. I won't squash a camel back cricket but roaches need to watch out. EEEWWWW!


This is a picture of a Borage flower. It is a good little herb to have. It companion plants well with tomatoes. It deters tomato worm and improves the growth and flavor of tomatoes. Here is an excerpt from my herb book:
"The common thread running through historical descriptions of borage is its ability to make men and women glad and merry, to comfort the heart, dispel melancholy and give courage. The Celtic name borrach meant courage and the Welsh name Llawenlys translates as herb of gladness. According to Dioscorides and Pliny, borage was the famed nepenthe of Homer, a herb wine that brought absolute forgetfulness.
The noble qualities of borage may derive from its high content of calcium, potassium and mineral salts, and research suggests borage works on the adrenal gland, where courage begins."

Some of the culinary uses for the flower are to sprinkle the flowers in salads and crystallize them for cake decorations. You can add the young leaves to cold drinks for their cucumber flavor and cooling effect. Chop the leaves finely in salads, yogurt, soft cheese, pickles and sandwiches. You can also cook the leaves as spinach or with spinach and add to ravioli stuffing. You can also companion plant them with strawberries as it stimulates each others growth. And get this, you can burn it and the nitrate of potash content will emit sparks and slight explosive sounds like fireworks. What do you all think of that? Pretty interesting and seeing as how the 4th is so close, I may try that last one.