(Photo: Christopher Griffith)

The Best Bet
With rooftops, window boxes, and backyards at the beginning of their peak bloom cycle, gardeners have to keep an eye out for plant-destroying aphids. Pesticides are a quick and dirty solution, but ladybugs are far more ornamental, not to mention ecofriendly. One small package of lady beetles (Hippodamia convergens, to be precise) from Gardens Alive contains 900 egg-laying adults, which will ultimately produce over 10,000 aphid-eating larvae—enough to patrol 1,000 square feet. Release them in the early evening, and by morning they’ll be munching away ($13.95 per package at gardensalive.com).