Mike Westphal, the Garden Guru, shares some helpful tips and products you can use to deter and prevent ticks in your yard.
Ticks can be a big problem in Hampton Roads, and as the weather warms, they become more active in our area. People are more likely to be heading outdoors to hike, work in the yard and head to the beach, and ticks live in tall grass and thick brush as well as thick, wooded areas. And, if you have deer that roam the neighborhood, then ticks may also be more prevalent. Regardless of where you live in the Hampton Roads area, ticks can be an issue.
The monarch butterfly has long been an ambassador of nature in the garden and a symbol of summertime. Generations of schoolchildren have raised monarchs in classrooms, watching in awe as caterpillars transform into beautiful orange-and-black adult butterflies. Yet monarch butterflies, once a familiar sight, are plummeting toward extinction (by 90 percent in the last 20 years). One of the main reasons for their decline is a lack of milkweed, the species’ only caterpillar host plant. Without milkweed, monarchs are unable to complete their lifecycle.
Salvia, a member of the mint family, has nearly 1000 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. Its blooms offer long-lasting color and attract butterflies and pollinators. Salvia is typically a rapid grower and tolerates summer heat with graceful, spiky blooms and is available in a variety of colors including blues, purples, pinks, reds, as well as, some whites and yellows.
Alternanthera is delightful foliage plant that is both easy to grow and care for. Although these plants don’t have interesting blooms, they more than make up for it with their striking, jewel-tone foliage. With plenty of varieties to choose from, alternanthera offers a wide range of leaf shapes, sizes, and textures. Outdoors, low-growing varieties are ideal as an edging plant next to sidewalks and pathways. Taller varieties can be mixed into borders where its colorful foliage adds contrasting hues.
Cuphea is a welcome addition to the lineup of warm-season annuals and although the flowers of this plant may be small, they more than make up for size in quantity. This low-maintenance annual blooms from late spring until frost without needing deadheading.