Sounds like it might be a katydid, part of the grasshopper family.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/29605

They do eat foliage and sometimes munch on flowers and buds, depends on the
exact species. If you don't have a whole herd of them over running through
your garden I personally wouldn't worry about it. You could use a BT
(Bacillus thuringensis) based pest control if they become a major problem.
Otherwise the birds will eat some and you can enjoy their evening symphony.

Val


"jenann" wrote in message
...

I have found a number of green, flat, leaf-like insects in my garden and
I'm wondering if they are good or bad. Should I leave them alone or
dispatch them to green, leaf-like insect heaven? They are about 1cm
long.




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jenann