Looking for tips to rid your flower garden of pests? Kerry Smith, home horticulturist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and coordinator for the Alabama Master Gardeners program warns all gardeners to be patient when it comes to spraying flowers for pests.

"If you start spraying at the first sign of a bug, you may actually rid your garden of beneficial insects," said Smith. To help flowers thrive, Smith suggests gardeners wait until significant bug population or plant damage is obvious and then spray plants with soap or oil sprays.