Green Gardening for Pest Control

The weather has been just gorgeous here lately! I've been taking advantage by gardening my little heart out! So, I thought I'd pass along a couple cool tricks I've picked up along the way that have saved me a lot of aggravation.

Ever heard of a mosquito plant?

Mosquito Plant

A friend told me about them a few years ago and now I can't make it through summer without them! The real plant name is Citrosa Geranium and it's a geranium that smells like (you guessed it!) citronella. I like to plant mosquito plants in pots and keep them on my porch and patio. It's a great natural way to keep pesky mosquitoes away. I'm an absolute mosquito magnet and not a fan of bug spray so I even like to rough up the greenery a little to get the scent moving in the breeze and, while I'm at it, I rub the oils on my arms and legs for an all natural bug repellent. Works like a charm!

I'm sure you've seen these guys before....

Marigolds

Marigolds are easy to grow and take care of. I'm not crazy about the way they look. I generally think they look like dandelions. ( Although, the orange in the pictured flowers IS rather nice.) They do have a secret power and it's in their scent. Have you ever taken a whiff of a marigold? They stink. like. skunk. Totally gross, right?

EXCEPT...We're not the only creatures repulsed by the skunky smell. Plant some marigolds around the border of your vegetable garden to deter rabbits, squirrels, and other thieving varmits and keep your tomatoes safe!

That's all I have for today! Do you have any green gardening tips of your own? I'd love to hear them!