5 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes and Enhance Your Landscape Design
Reducing pests around your home is important for your family's well-being, but deterring annoying mosquitoes is imperative if you want to relax outdoors on your deck or patio. While surprising to hear, many flowers and shrubs will deter mosquitoes from your yard. This not only reduces the stress of swatting away these pesky biters while barbecuing and enjoying the outdoors, but it also decreases your risk of bites and possible infections or disease.
Considering mosquitoes may carry numerous diseases, including malaria, dengue fever, the West Nile virus, encephalitis, and the Zika virus, repelling these insects is imperative. Using this guide, you can improve your landscape design while preventing disease-carrying mosquitoes from entering your home's outdoor living spaces.
Marigolds
Marigolds are great options for adding color to your flowerbeds and planters. Available in a variety of sizes and colors, their blooms add appeal and texture to your landscape design. Marigolds are easy to grow and maintain, as well. In many cases, the African variety of marigolds will grow up to 36 inches tall, making a big statement in your landscape.
Planting these fragrant flowers is also smart for mosquito control. Consider installing marigolds in pots around a deck or create a border between your lawn and your outdoor space with multiple plants. This border will serve as a barricade between you and these flying, biting pests.
Lavender
Lavender is a classic plant that offers a light and airy fragrance, but this scent is incredibly unappealing to mosquitoes, making it an excellent addition to your outdoor living space.
Lavender offers a pop of color with light and dark varieties of purple flowers. While small, this pop of color makes the perfect complement to a bed full of lush, green shrubbery. Be sure to plant lavender in areas with well-drained soil that receive full sun. This will ensure the lavender blooms are healthy and bright.
Add lavender to flowerbeds, pots, or planters around your deck, porch, or patio to deter mosquitoes away from you and your guests. Lavender offers other uses, as well. Dice up a few flowers and sprinkle on vanilla ice cream for added flavor or dry the flowers on a rack to create fragrant sachets.
Citronella
You most likely are familiar with the scent of citronella, since it is a common ingredient used in outdoor candles and bug sprays. Fortunately, citronella is also an attractive plant that makes a bold statement in your landscape design.
The plant contains a large amount of citronella oil, which secretes a strong scent that deters mosquitoes and other insects. The citronella plant does not produce any flowers, but its greenery is an appealing element in your landscaping.
Here are a few things to consider when planting citronella:
- Shade and moisture: Install the citronella plant in moist, well-drained soil that receives partial shade. An estimated 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day is best for the citronella plant.
- Solitude: Citronella grows quickly, so it may cause overcrowding if planted in flowerbeds. Install in a pot or planter or incorporate into a bed with sufficient space between the citronella and other plants.
- Water: Water the citronella plant daily.
- Cold protection: Exposure to the cold and freezing temperatures will kill the citronella plant. If installed in a pot or planter, move the citronella plant indoors to protect it from the intense cold.
Landscape design is a great way to enhance your home's curb appeal, but you can also use plants and flowers to deter insects. By using these plants and flowers, you can add color, texture, and appeal to your outdoor space while also repelling disease-carrying mosquitoes. For more advice or for extensive mosquito problems, contact a representative from a company like Cavanaugh's Professional Termite & Pest Services.
