Spring Forward Into Your Garden

Spring is rapidly approaching which hopefully means spending more time outdoors. With the warmer weather and things starting to “wake up” and bloom it also means that we will have more insects lurking around. These pesky little critters can make spending time outdoors not quite as pleasant and they can wreak havoc on your garden. Luckily there are some plants we can strategically grow outside around the house and in your garden that will help ward off these unwanted guests.

You can plant this herb either in the garden or in plantar boxes near where you enjoy sitting and relaxing. If planting in the garden it is an ideal companion with tomatoes as it will keep mosquitoes, aphids, and hornworms away while at the same time enhance the flavor of the tomatoes.

Mint: This herb helps to keep aphids, ants, cabbage moths, and rodents away. However it is best to plant in a pot as it is an aggressive plant and can spread easily.

Planting garlic around your vegetables not only can enhance their taste; it also helps to repel aphids, ants, beetles, and spider mites.

With it’s pretty purple flowers and its calming scent, this plant is nice to look at while it is working to helps keep bugs away.

You can plant this flower in pots near entrances to your home and make good border plants around the patio to keep mosquitoes away. Do keep in mind to avoid placing them on patio tables as the bright colors may attract wasps. They are also great to plant near tomato beds as they repel insects that prey on tomatoes.

Crushed leaves of thyme provide 62% of the repellency of DEET!  The small blooms attract butterflies and bees. It is best to plant along a pathway or trailing trailing down the the side of a container or large pot as it has a creeping habit.

This plant grows tall (up to 3ft tall and 1ft wide) and is considered by some as a gourmet herb. It can add a zesty lemon flavor to soups, salads, fish, and chicken. You can also rub lemongrass on your skin for an all natural mosquito repellent.

Did you know that you can make your own bug spray?

All you need is a spray bottle, peppermint essential oil, and water!

Mix 10-20 drops of peppermint essential oil with one cup of water and place in a spray bottle. This mixture will repel biting bugs and spiders as well as repel a large population of a pest problem.

So now that we know how to keep ourselves and our plants safe from pests, let’s go outside and enjoy this wonderful spring weather!