Pests are a real blow to keen gardeners. And using insecticides and poison s are not an option that supports our eco system. Luckily for the environmentally conscious among us, mother nature gives us lots of wonderful resources to repel pests. There are plants that can protect your garden from pest infestations. As well as being useful, some of them look beautiful as well. We’ve asked a local pest control specialist from Essex, UK To name four of the best types of plants that repel pests. Hopefully this will help you in your war against garden pests.
Petunias
Petunias are at the top of our list of plants that repel pests. Known as a natural pesticide, petunias come in a whole array of bright and vivid colours. They look very pretty on the outside. But on the inside these truly are plants that repel pests. Insects like aphids, asparagus beetles and leafhoppers will all hate petunias being present in your garden.
Mint
We all love a bit of mint with our lamb roast dinner. So it’s great that it’s also winning in the war of keeping pests away from our homes and gardens. Mint has a distinctive fresh smell that many pests like ants, slugs, rodents and even snails hate.
Mint is very aggressive when it grows, so try not to plant it in the ground. Instead place it in pots around your garden or home that are particularly susceptible to pests. Why not try chopping some mint up and leave it around your patio if you’ve seen ants visiting lately.
Chrysanthemums
A chrysanthemum contains something called pyrethrum. The presence of this ingredient means this plant is one of the most effective pest repellents out there. Insects like lice, ticks, silverfish and beetles will run in fear of this plant. Pyrethrum also has a powerful ability to kill jumping insects. It’s commonly found in many natural insecticides to spray on plants and vegetables, keeping pests at bay.
Calendula
The calendula is a relative of the marigold. It attracts a lot of beneficial insects like ladybirds. But it also helps to repel the not so helpful ones, like aphids. As well as being an asset for pest control reasons, the calendula is also a very pretty plant which looks stunning in any flower bed.
