Summer time equals lots of fun things, it also equals lots more time outdoors which is great; however it also equals mosquitoes. Let me tell you, I despise mosquitoes. They do not feel the same way about me though, in fact I think my daughter and I are mosquito magnets who must have some amazingly intoxicating blood that they just cannot resist. Trust me… I would much rather douse myself in bug spray than get bitten, however if I could avoid that, I will happily forgo the bug spray for a more natural alternative. When sitting out on the back deck, I have for years just used citronella candles and truthfully I think they only kind of work. So this left me on a search for what else I could do.
Last spring I was perusing Pinterest, a fond pastime of mine, and I came across mosquito repelling planters. I decided that I would give it a try. Worst case scenario I had pretty planters. The link that I used as guidance must have been using the world’s largest planter because there is no way I could fit that many plants into mine. Instead, I chose 3 different types to put in the main planter and then planted some herbs in another planter which apparently are also mosquito repealing. Last summer I planted citronella, catnip, and lavender. The lavender actually died quickly and was taken over by the catnip, just an FYI. However, it worked! Not only did I never worry about or have mosquito attacks while sitting on my deck; the planter smelled lovely.
This year, I decided to take out the catnip because of how overwhelming it was last year, so hopefully it was not the secret ingredient. Instead I planted citronella, lemon thyme as well as a little pink flower (oops sorry forgot the name) that the insert said was insect repelling. I have another planter of rosemary and basil right next to the larger planter as well that also work as a mosquito repellant in addition to being yummy herbs for cooking. So far the planter change-up has worked. It’s a nice addition to the aesthetics of the deck and makes hanging out in the evening hours much more pleasant.
Mosquito repelling plants (not all inclusive):
• Citronella
• Lavender
• Catnip
• Marigolds
• Lemon Thyme
• Lemon Grass
• Basil
• Rosemary
• Lemon Balm
• Garlic —This one might not leave the fresh scent you are desiring though
If you give it a try, I would love to hear what you used and if it was successful. Also feel free to share picture with Cincinnati Moms Blog by tagging us on Instagram @cincymomsblog
