Interesting..... am wishing I could remember where the pocket loupe was stashed years ago. Was left wondering how he managed to get such well focused videos of bugs on the backsides of leaves while holding the loupe to a cell phone camera lens. Must be a developed skill or some other secret involved.

there are magnification apps for your cell phone, most are free.

Just re-watched Saturday's broadcast. You could tell the host is in awe of Skip Richter. This year I stopped spot spraying for thrips on roses. And quit bringing fragrant cut flowers indoors because of the insects that tag along, beneficial or otherwise. Wish there was a way to 'fumigate' the flower before bringing it (and the bugs) indoors. Last year the thrips also occupied the ripe blackberries rendering them unpalatable, but this year they concentrated on the fragrant roses and gardenias so I had a decent blackberry harvest. It's bad enough seeing them on roses; and on those rare occasions the gardenias bloom, they're all over it. But to see them crawling in and out of the drupelets on the ready-to-eat blackberries... I can't wait for the beneficials to settle the score or tip the balance someday, haha.

Skip Richter wrote one of the best articles on fragrant plants for our region. http://www.texasgardener.com/pastissues/mayjun13/FragrantFlowers.html

My plants had a rough time with the recent week-long 20+ mph south wind. Especially the taller rose bushes, they seem to have developed calluses. My Bougie and Gregg's mistflower and Butterfly ginger aren't fully bursting forth yet but the SunPatiens got an early start and are doing great.

I love listening to Skip Richter! He spoke to my master gardener class (years ago) and answered questions.