Don't Let Mosquitoes Ruin Your Summer Evenings!
Now that summer is here in full blast, mosquitoes have arrived with a vengeance.
While there are many reputable pest control companies in the Chestertown and Kent County areas to help you keep those annoying pests under control, there are also a few steps you can take to not only help deter mosquitoes, ticks and fleas, but also have the added benefits of creating a beautiful garden as well.
Summer Mood Lighting For The Adults?
As an example, some people like to use what are known as Tiki lights. They can be placed around an area where you can spend time in the evening on the porch or share a meal from the barbecue with your family and friends. The lights create a nice ambience in the dusk as you’re enjoying your time together.
However, there may be times when you may not want a Tiki light burning around your sitting area. Such as when you’re enjoying time with young children or rambunctious puppies and don’t want to worry about an open flame hurting them.
That’s when Mother Nature comes in to help with a hint of fragrance, taste and beauty. There are several plants that can help reduce pesky mosquitoes, flies and other annoying pests from your patio or garden.
Herbs: The Plants With Many Surprises
There is a group of plants better known as herbs! Herbs taste great in salads and are used in many recipes, including those meals cooked on a grill! They even add beauty and a gentle fragrance to our gardens and landscape.
However, what many people don’t realize is that many herbs also have the added benefits of sending mosquitoes, flies and other pests in the opposite direction. Many of us are familiar with the typical herbs we cook with such as basil, thyme and oregano, but there are many others that are just as enjoyable and also offer the benefit of scaring away those pesky night time biters.
For instance, citronella plants produce a soft, lemony fragrance, but also give off a scent that mosquitoes do not enjoy. They produce small, yellow flowers and can be kept short and close to the ground, or allowed to grow tall and used as background plants. Planting citronella in pots close to where you like to enjoy your outdoors helps to ward off those pesky little biters and can be moved to different areas of your garden, depending on where you wish to spend your time each evening. And, if you’ve never considered citronella as an herb before, try a leaf or two in your salad for a tangy flavor. You may be surprised that a plant that wards off mosquitoes could taste so good on your plate.
If you’re a cat lover, consider planting the herb catnip. Your cats will thank you, immensely! Catnip not only makes cats happy, it also helps to ward off mosquitoes in your garden. Just be sure to keep it in planters since it can become invasive and spread throughout your garden.
As an added bonus, happy cats can lead to less mice in the house. 🙂
There are many other herbs that ward off pests such as peppermint and thyme. If you want to know more about herbs we will have another post about them coming soon.
Don't Forget The Fall Flower, That Ticks Hate!
The beautiful chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemums can be grown in pots or around hedges; they can line the driveway or encircle a patio. They also come back every year, stronger and thicker, and can be separated to create more plants to spread around your yard. They come in many styles, shapes and colors, but most importantly, not only do they repel mosquitoes, they also repel ticks! So planting them during the warm months will help in the deterrence of those Lyme-spreading pests .
Chrysanthemums form small bushes that can make a nice backdrop for your summer blooming plants. And then, just when most of your summer flowers have become exhausted, chrysanthemums come into full bloom, giving your garden a new burst of color that lasts up to and sometimes through the month of November.
Just Want To Relax This Summer?
If you find that you just want to enjoy sitting outside with your family and friends, watching the fireflies and breathing in the fresh scents of lemons, peppermint or lavender, and don’t have the time to plant and manage them, just give us a call. We enjoy planting beautiful landscaped gardens and caring for them as they grow and thrive throughout the seasons. We can offer a one-time planting or you can ask to be placed or our maintenance plan.