11 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes

The days are finally getting longer, the snow is (slowly!) beginning to melt, and spring officially arrives in just a few days! While the prospect of warmer weather has us all a bit giddy, we can’t forget the unwelcome intruders that tag along with the sunny summer weather.

Yes, we are talking about mosquitoes, and everybody knows that they can be a huge nuisance. However, using chemical products to keep them away is not on the top of everyone’s wish list.

Read on for some ideas of plants that repel mosquitoes – naturally!

Citronella

Chances are, you’ve heard of this one before- it’s one of the most common ingredients in most mosquito repellents. Strange enough though, many people don’t even know that citronella is actually a plant! Citronella is a beautiful perennial clumping grass that emits a strong aroma. That aroma masks other scents, and keeps mosquitoes from being attracted to things located around it. The citronella plant has a much stronger aroma than other mosquito repellents that contain citronella, so it is a great choice. Citronella is very easy to grow, and can get to be a very tall 5 or 6 feet high! You can grow citronella in pots and place it around a porch or patio, or you can plant it directly in a yard or garden bed. It’s a great choice for repelling mosquitoes naturally.

You can actually buy two large live citronella plants from this page on Amazon. There’ll be no need to wait for seeds to grow – you can start repelling mosquitoes immediately.

Lemon Balm

Another great choice for a mosquito repelling plant is lemon balm. A member of the mint family, the plant also known as horsemint and beebalm is a very easy plant for beginning gardeners to grow- even if you don’t have a green thumb! Lemon Balm is a very hardy plant, it resists drought, and it grows well even in shade. It is a very fast growing and sometimes aggressive plant, so you might want to contain it to a pot, where you can move it to wherever you like to ensure that it doesn’t take over your garden! An added bonus? You can dry the leaves and use them to make a delicious herbal tea!

Catnip

Your feline friends will be happy to know that catnip is a great mosquito deterrent! In fact, in a 2010 study, researchers found that catnip is 10 times more effective than DEET, the ingredient commonly found in bug repellents. It is a very easy plant to grow, and if you have cats in the house, they will surely be happy to have it around. However, be careful not to plant catnip in with other flowers, veggies, or herbs if you have cats around your garden. They will surely roll around in the catnip and smash everything nearby!

Marigolds

A bright, hardy annual plant, marigolds are a great choice for repelling mosquitoes. Marigolds contain Pyrethrum, an ingredient found in many insect repellents, and they have a unique aroma which bugs find repulsive. The flowers themselves are beautiful and can make a great border or addition to any flower bed! Try placing them around borders of your home, and mosquitoes might not want to cross over!

Basil

Calling all cooks! Want a double whammy when it comes to mosquito protection? Plant some basil! Not only will you have a quick and easy mosquito repellent, you will also have a delicious fresh herb on hand to add to all of your favorite recipes! There are many different varieties of basil around, so feel free to experiment and find the ones that you like best. Many expert gardeners recommend trying lemon basil or cinnamon basil to deter insects.

Lavender

You probably know that lavender is a gorgeous purple flowering plant with a soothing, calming scent. But, did you know that it is also a natural mosquito repellent? Grow it indoors near a sunny window, or outside in your garden or flower bed to keep the bugs away. While you’re at it, make a delicious herbal tea, or use lavender to fill your home with a wonderful calming aroma.

Peppermint

Most bugs despise the smell and taste of peppermint, so planting it around your home is a great way to keep them from dropping by uninvited! Plus, if you do happen to get bitten, peppermint leaves rubbed directly onto the skin make a great itch relief treatment! Added bonus for the wonderful minty smell that makes a delicious addition to food and beverages!

Garlic

Unfortunately for all of us who love Italian food, studies have shown that EATING garlic does not repel mosquitoes. (Unless, however, you were to eat a HUGE amount!) However, having garlic around DOES! Make sure to add some garlic to your flower bed or vegetable garden for added protection!

Pennyroyal

The adorable pennyroyal flower is a natural deterrent for mosquitoes! Make sure to plant some around your flowerbeds! Pennyroyal plants also make great groundcovers, and they attract a plethora of beautiful butterflies. Some people even use pennyroyal to flavor certain fish dishes. As you can see, this plant has plenty of benefits!

Rosemary

Rosemary is a beautiful flowering plant that is often used to flavor lamb or fish dishes, but did you know that it is also a natural mosquito repellent? It’s perfect to add to your herb garden or flowerbed to keep bugs away, and it even attracts butterflies!

Plus you can simply snip a few springs off every time you need to add extra flavor to your lamb or steak!

Geranium

This beautiful flowering plant is a great choice for mosquito repellent. When planted in a hanging container, the colorful blooms will cascade over the side of the pot, providing a beautiful visual piece as well as a very useful bug repellent!

As you can see, there are many different plants out there that can help to keep bugs away! Next time you reach for the chemical bug spray, take a minute and think again, and choose something more natural!

source : http://www.naturallivingideas.com/11-plants-that-repel-mosquitoes/

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How to grow flowers the organic way

Flowers are often referred to as ‘ornamentals’. But they don’t just look good, they can be an essential part of your organic growing. They attract beneficial insects such as pollinators or aphid eaters, they can be used in companion planting in your veg patch – and some you can even eat (allow your herbs to flower and both you and the pollinators will enjoy the blooms!)

You won't need to use artificial fertilisers to help them thrive – as with all organic growing it is a matter of getting the soil well prepared. Choose plants that are suited to your soil type and locality, and you can enjoy their visual beauty and colour all year round.

On this page you can find out How to Create a Wildflower Meadow (see below). We also offer you a a list of flowers for beneficial insects - such as bees and butterflies. For edible flowers, such as borage, nasturtium and marigold, see How to Grow.

As always, the best place to start is by downloading the Organic Gardening Guidelines. These are a code of practice, designed with a helpful traffic light system, to help you on your organic growing journey - whether you are a complete beginner, want to convert to organic, or be reminded of good organic practice.

Preparing your growing area

Wherever and whatever you are growing, you need to prepare the soil first. Soil provides life for your plants, and in turn you need to provide nutrients for your soil. See Managing your soil. On a new allotment or garden, your first battle might be with weeds. These compete with other plants for light, nutrition and water, so you need to clear them before you start growing. If your growing area is large, decide which part of the ground you want to use to start growing immediately, and which part you can leave for later. We suggest the following way to help you prepare the ground the organic way - without chemicals and weed killers.

For immediate use, dig the ground over to take out tough and woody weeds like docks, thistles, nettles and brambles, removing as much root as possible. See FAQs for how to deal with bindweed or brambles. Then add as much compost as you can - one big wheelbarrow, or 5 large buckets, for every 5 square metres of ground. Dig this compost into the top 10 cms of soil, and your bed is ready for planting. If you want to sow seeds, use a rake to break down and gently flatten the topsoil into a fine texture (known as tilth) so the seeds can access soil and water to germinate.

You can take your time preparing the remaining growing area. A light-excluding membrane (which is often made of plastic, and can be bought in rolls in garden centres or on-line) will suppress and eventually kill the weeds. However, it can take up to 6 months to 2 years. (We do not recommend using carpet. Many carpets use harmful chemicals in their construction and moth proofing which can leach into the ground.)

Another way to clear weeds on your new beds is the No Dig method. This uses a thick (over 15cms) mulch of manure or compost, often used in conjunction with a plastic membrane, which not only suppresses the weeds but also feeds the soil. However, persistent weeds such as docks and bindweed will not be eradicated for many years.

If you are growing in containers, prepare your organic growing medium according to the plants you plan to grow. See Container growing.

How to create a Wild Flower Meadow

You don’t need a large meadow to grow wild flowers. A corner of your lawn, a patch between your beds or on the edge of your allotment can all be converted to wild flower growing. However, the important thing is not to enrich the soil. Fertile soils in flower beds, with nutrients such as phosphates, will allow weeds such as nettles and docks to take over. A poor, well-drained, sunny patch is ideal.

Preparation – first dig out perennial weeds. If your soil is nutrient rich, take off the top 20 cms to expose a poorer subsoil. Then prepare a firm, level seedbed a month before you plan to sow. This allows the weed seeds to establish and you to hoe them off!

Sowing – the best time to sow is September, when the soil is still warm, this allows a cold period before germination in the spring. Sow sparingly. It helps to mix the seed thoroughly with sawdust or silver sand, so you can see where you have broadcast it. Then gently rake and firm the surface. Water if conditions are very dry.

Cutting – allow your flowers to set seed before mowing. Spring flowering meadows can be cut from late June onwards, a summer flowering meadow from September onwards. Do not cut the grass too short ie a minimum of 5 cms. Leaving the hay for a couple of weeks allows it to shed its seed, and then it must be removed to keep the soil fertility low.

An elusive, but helpful plant in creating a wildflower meadow, is the attractive annual Yellow rattle. In the past this plant was a serious pest for farmers as it weakens grasses and as a result can reduce hay yields. In a planned wildflower meadow, however, this suppression of grass growth is welcomed. At the end of each growing season as the annual yellow rattle plants die away they leave behind gaps into which new wild flowers can establish.

Wildflower meadow seeds are available from The Organic Gardening Catalogue. Garden Organic members get a discount. Why not become a Garden Organic member? Membership costs as little as £2.75 a month, and you get free or discounted entry to many gardens throughout the UK. Phone 02476 303517 or email membership@gardenorganic.org.uk.

source by : http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/flower-growing

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