THE WRIGHT GARDENER, INC.
COCOA, FLORIDA

Jim started The Wright Gardener, Inc. on August 10,2007, after he was laid off as a Plant Operations Manager. Jim spent months sending out hundreds of resumes and going on many interviews. But after each one he was told that he was either "over qualified" or "under qualified". One day a kind voice said to him "you love working in the garden and the yard, why don't you start your own business." Well, after some thought and many sleepless nights he decided that it was worth a try. So, he began the company now known as The Wright Gardener, Inc. First Jim placed an ad in the local newspaper. The calls didn't come quickly, but a few major jobs came through. As time went by and "word of mouth" and neighbors saw how pristine the gardens were, business grew quickly. Once the gardening concept was realized busines began to "bloom". He soon outgrew the bed of his truck and had to buy a trailer to carry all his equipment. His customers appreciated his dedication to their properties that he was soon being asked to maintain their lawns also. The business was growing and although he was laboring hard, he was in his element and at the end of the day if his customer smiled at his work he was fulfilled. Today, Jim has grown the business to a full service gardener and still takes personal pride in his work. In what little spare time Jim has he loves to fish and work in his own gardens. The Wright Gardener, Inc.  ♦  In the lovebug, copulation begins with males flying and swarming above females, who remain on or close to the ground. The swarm is most dense from one foot to about five feet off the ground, but the swarm can be as high as 20 feet above the ground and can contain up to 40-plus males. Larger males often dominate the bottom of the swarm in competition to get a fit mate. The males prefer larger, heavier females because they provide better odds of reproducing and mating. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county's UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Insect pests and plant pathogens are a challenge for every gardener and the temptation to wipe them out is strong. We encourage you to resist the urge to reach for an arsenal of chemical weapons. In the short term they may provide a quick knock-down to the attackers, but they may also kill beneficial organisms. In the long term, you expose yourself and the environment to toxic chemicals, and risk disrupting the natural ecosystem in your garden. All things considered, an organic approach is both safer and more effective. Though the vast majority of the insects in our gardens are harmless � or even beneficial � some of them are definitely pests. A little knowledge about the basic life cycle and feeding habits of these pests will go a long way in helping you recognize and effectively address the problems they can cause. The Wright Gardener, Inc.  ♦  The Wright Gardener, Inc.  ♦