Today I was so excited to find ladybug larvae on my roses.  I was making the usual weekly rounds, dead-heading, checking things out, snipping out leaves with black spot and scouting for aphids.  Normally when I find a cluster of aphids I strip them off the leaves with my fingers (yes, I wear gloves).  Today as I was brushing them off I noticed a few ladybugs nearby.  And then I noticed there were still a few insects tenaciously hanging onto the stem, but they weren’t aphids.  Upon closer inspection I discovered they were the larvae of ladybugs, little aphid-munching machines. I was thrilled that beneficial insects were hard at work in my garden. I was also glad that I hadn’t sprayed any chemicals, not even Neem oil, onto the roses. The circle of life, happening in my yard! When people don’t have a lot of time it’s just easier to get a bottle of something and spray the roses when insects appear.  But if you really love your plants, you have to take a close look at them.  Spend time with them. Give them an afternoon.  That’s when you see what’s happening in the garden.