Tips on spiders and fall planting from the Lurie Garden

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Halloween weekend means you probably see a lot of spiders, both real and fake ones. They don't have to be frightening though. In fact, they are pretty useful for our yards. You can find plenty of spiders at the Lurie Garden in Chicago's Millennium Park. The Lurie Garden is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2014.

Horticulturist Laura Ekasetya with the Lurie Garden joined us live during our ABC 7 Eyewitness News Saturday Morning to talk about spiders and to share fall planting tips.

Gardening tips from the Lurie Garden:

• Stop using insecticides. Learn to tolerate a little plant damage and you'll help welcome a healthy insect population to your garden.
• Spiders serve an important purpose. They eat more insects than any other creature on earth, which makes them great biological control agents. The orb weaver is a spider that has colorful patterns on its back and a classic web shape that reminds you of "Charlotte's Web." There are also funnel-webs and grass spiders.
• Fall is also a great time to plant bulbs for spring and to think about adding ornamental grasses to your garden.