Over breakfast one recent
morning, a guest asked what type of plants deter bugs the best. This made me
stop and think about what we have planted and why. The majority of our garden,
flowers and herbs included, we use to make pretty arrangements and feed our
family and guests. While this is all
important so is keeping the bugs away so that we have these great food options
available.
Marigolds ~ This year I went on
the offensive and intentionally planted flowers to help deter pests. Marigolds
are great to keep out bugs and rabbits from munching on your gardens. Plus,
they provide an early pollinator to attract bees and butterflies. Just the scent of the bloom will keep away
unwanted bugs and rabbits from your garden. This year I chose to plant them in
various locations around our garden beds and at the ends, to hopefully help
maximize my results.
Basil ~ We typically always
plant basil because who doesn’t like basil. In the past we planted up to four
different varieties, but this year only have two. Basil does a great job of
being aromatic and repelling mosquitos and houseflies from your yard and home. I’m thinking of adding some more pots with a
variety of herbs to help keep the flies down in higher traffic areas and doors.
All those kids coming and going can sometimes lead to doors being open to let
in flies.
Lemon Grass ~ Lemon grass is a beautiful
addition to your garden beds. We usually
place one or two on the end and watch as they sway in the wind. While also
pulling double duty at deterring unwanted pests. Pests go beyond those blood
sucking mosquitos to roaches, flies and other smaller insects. Of course you can still use it in the kitchen
as well. Lemongrass thrives in a hot
climate, so it works well in the Texas summer.
Mint ~ We pretty much always
have mint growing in a pot around the bed and breakfast. A leading herb in many of our cocktails and
food dishes, it also provides the added bonus of repelling spiders, ants and
mosquitoes. Be careful when you plant,
since it can spread, and you may never get a chance to get rid of it.
Citronella Grass ~ Everyone is
familiar with citronella being in mosquito repellents and bug repellents but do
not realize that it is a grass. Sure,
there is a plant as well and you can probably find both at a local garden
store. Citronella grass can be hard to
distinguish between lemon grass from afar, so get up close to help make the
determination. Citronella grass has red
colored pseudostems while lemon grass has green. Add these around your house and garden to
help keep pesky mosquitoes at bay.
Rosemary ~ Probably another of
my favorite herbs to plant for flavorful dishes and as a bug repellent is
rosemary. Rosemary will help protect
your garden from a wide variety of bugs that want to feed off your bounty. We typically have them planted at the edge of
our garden like a Rosemary “hedge” of sorts and a way to keep the bugs away.
Chrysanthemums ~ These flowering
plants are probably one of the most versatile plants to help deter bugs. In Texas you know we love and enjoy mums
later in the year, as is evidence of the giant monstrosities people create in
the name of Homecoming. In the garden
they do not need to be nearly as large, to help repel ants, Japanese beetles,
roaches, bed bugs, spider mites, ticks and so much more. Plant these beauties around your house and
garden to enjoy the benefits of their bug fighting prowess.
This list is not a complete list
of amazing plants to help fight off pests to keep your garden healthy and
thriving. There are more options that
you might want to use to help keep your garden healthy or your home bug
free. Since we try to use organic means
of gardening and pest repellants these options are wonderful for our garden at
the Oaks Bed and Breakfast.
No comments:
Post a Comment