Having a garden is like owning a pet. It needs to be fed, watered, cared for and tended to by an attentive owner.
And if treated properly it will grow, flourish and provide you long-lasting enjoyment.
But just like your faithful Fido, it can't always tell you when something is wrong.
"You have to look out for the signs," says gardening expert, Tod Palenski of Awapuni Nurseries.
In the same way Fido scratching his fur tells you he has fleas, plants will display symptoms to tell you they have some annoying little pests of their own.
As with any good cure, Tod says the first order of business should always be prevention.
"Companion planting is the easiest and most environmentally-friendly way of preventing pests," he says.
Companion planting is when you include plants in your garden which either lure beneficial insects or repel pests.
The most well known example of companion planting, which also happens to work well in the kitchen, is a mix of tomato and basil plants.
Tomatoes are very susceptible to white fly. But whiteflies don't like the flavour and scent of basil.
Marigolds and onions also combine well with vegetables. And lavender, garlic, parsley, and chives will help protect roses against aphids.
But if, like Fido, your garden has already shown signs of having some nasty invaders or infections, Tod has some organic tips for deciphering which pests you have, removing them and ensuring they stay away.
"For example, curled, distorted and yellow leaves, especially on roses, are a sure sign aphids are sucking the goodness out of your plants."
While leaves which look dull and are stippled with white dots most likely have spider mites.
"Spider mites love nice, warm, still spots. So they are usually found on plants, particularly rhododendrons and roses, next to the house or under the eves."
If the problem is mottled, yellow leaves, chances are you have white butterfly, white fly and leaf hopper feasting on your plants - especially if you're in the vegetable garden.
To rid your garden of all of the above, simply hose the pests off with a strong stream of water and spray the plant with neem.
Neem is oil extracted from the seed of the neem tree of India and can be found at Awapuni Nurseries.
"This will get rid of the bugs and stop them returning," says Tod.
Or try attracting ladybugs to your roses for an alternative to preventing aphids. One ladybird will eat about 400 aphids in a week.
Do you have a problem with small ragged holes in your vegetables? Then it is highly likely you will also have slugs, snails and caterpillars in your garden.
Simply hand pick and destroy the pests and apply Yates Quash (copper) around the base of the veges to prevent the bugs returning.
Lastly, have you had a bit of rain lately? Maybe some hot humid weather? And have you also noticed yellow or white powdery coating on the leaves of your roses?
No doubt you have rust or powdery mildew. These diseases love the water and, as a result, they often occur during humid or wet weather.
To free your plants of these unpleasant diseases, destroy the infected foliage, thin the plant to increase air circulation and spray with a fungicide.
So for a garden which is healthy, vibrant and as frisky as Fido, keep an eye out for any of infection and remember - prevention is often the best cure.
