Pest Prevention Plants to Add to Your Garden

A garden will bring beauty to your yard, but did you know what is sowed can also act as a deterrent to unwanted pests? Some flowers and herbs have fragrances that keep insects at bay. Today we recommend some choices for your garden or patio that could discourage undesirable bugs and animals.

Basil
The iconic smell of fresh basil makes it a favorite addition of many vegetable patches. While delightful to have right outside your door to pick and flavor your next recipe, this herb also limits mosquitoes, asparagus beetles, carrot flies, and tomato hornworm. Growing best in full sunlight and needing water just once a week, basil is low maintenance and a good companion to tomato plants.

Lemongrass
The citronella oil used to repel mosquitos is found naturally in lemongrass. Place around the patio or in pots to minimize bug bites when you’re enjoying your outdoor space. Just make sure the plants get plenty of sun and provide consistent moisture throughout the growing season.

Mint
Mints' well-known fragrance will not only attract noses but repel pesky spiders, cabbage moths, squash bugs, and ants. Thriving in partial shade and requiring little care, this prolific option is well suited to raised beds or containers as it can become a plentiful ground cover.

Rosemary
If you’ve dealt with bugs eating at your garden in the past, rosemary is a great solution to keep away any slugs, beetles, or smaller insects that like to feast on your garden. This compass plant takes a bit more tending with regular watering and full sunlight but is well worth it and does come back year after year.

Marigolds
Marigolds showcase some vibrant hues along with a distinct musky odor that may be either pleasant or offensive to people yet seems to be a deterrent to mosquitoes or even critters like rabbits. These flowers need full sunshine and should get watered every couple of days. They create a lovely border when used around the perimeter of a vegetable plot.

Petunias
Available in a variety of colors, petunias will bring plenty of lively contrast to your yard while controlling insects most known to devour vegetables such as squash bugs, tomato hornworms, and leafhoppers. Petunias benefit from partial shade and require consistent moisture.

Chrysanthemums
The compounds found in many commercial insecticides (pyrethroids) are naturally present in chrysanthemums. They ward off a large variety of pests, including Japanese beetles, roaches, silverfish, ants, ticks, bedbugs, lice, fleas and spider mites. Plant in full sun with well-draining soil for best results. Available in an array of colors, you are sure to find the perfect complement to match your space.

Many of the commercial products we use to stop insects have unintended consequences when these pesticides get into nearby streams and groundwater. Using a bit of nature’s defense with some of the suggested plantings could decrease the necessity for such polluting contaminants.

Premier Outdoor Environments can help you decide what works best for your space and how much personal time is needed for whichever plants you choose. We will assist you in every step of the process to make your dream garden a reality!