<%=tDate%>

A. Right now, you'll find lots of caterpillars in the garden. A safe way to deal with them is to spray with bacillus thurigiensis (BT) which kills the caterpillars but won't harm pets, birds, or you.

But be aware of what you're spraying, so you don't kill the butterflies to come.

Slugs, uh! Set out beer traps for them. If you're having problems with beetles, call the Extension Office. But note that most of these are cyclical and will be gone soon.

It's better to create a diverse habitat that attracts beneficial insects and toads to deal with pest problems in the long run. Remember that most pesticides can't tell the difference between a "good bug" and a "bad bug." A few chomped plants is a small price to pay for a healthy garden.

<<view past Questions of the Week

Blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthemum) A wonderful, low-growing tidy bouquet of white flowers! It's a native that blooms from March to November, and it qualifies as a water-wise plant.

In fact, the worse thing you can do is to plant it in heavy clay soils, where it will drown. But if you have a well-drained bed, or live on rock, it's a perfect, no hassle addition.

The white flowers are wonderful in the night when you're outside enjoying the garden. It wants full sun or part shade, and gets about 6-12" tall. Group several for a more spectacular look. Looks fabulous next to rocks.

<<view past Plants Of The Week

• Dead head your plants for continued flowering. If the heat and high winds keep up, give your plants deep drinks to encourage summer hardiness and a deeper root system.
• Still okay to plant peppers and eggplant. Water in with liquid seaweed for a good start to their growing season.
• There's still time to plant annual seeds like zinnias and cosmos to attract the butterflies and for good cut flower arrangements.
• This year find a spot for Mexican sunflower (tithonia). They get tall and bloom with brilliant orange flowers that are like a neon sign for nectaring butterflies. By all means, hold off on planting periwinkles until late May!

<< more Planting Tips