There is no way to free your garden from insects 100%. However, you can successfully repel the bad bugs by incorporating useful plants into your landscape. Many plants can serve as bug repellents.
Plants that repel insect pests
A number of herbs, flowers, and vegetable plants can make ideal repellents for insect pests.
Here are some of the more commonly grown:
- Chives and leeks deter the carrot fly and can also improve the overall health of garden plants.
- Garlic helps to repel aphids and Japanese beetles. When planted alongside onions, this plant also deters moles and mice.
- Basil scares away flies and mosquitoes. Try setting some around the porch or other outdoor areas.
- Borage and tomato plants will fend off tomato hornworms, and marigolds ward off a number of harmful insects, including nematodes and Japanese beetles.
- Planting mint and rosemary around the garden will discourage the egg-laying of many insects, such as the cabbage moth. To keep ants away, try planting some mint and tansy around the house. Tansy is also good for keeping Japanese beetles and mosquitoes at bay.
- Spinach acts as a deterrent for slugs, and thyme is good for repelling cabbageworms.
- Pyrethrum painted daisies planted anywhere within the landscape will help with aphids.
Implementing plants that are labeled as pest-resistant in and around the garden is also a good way to ward off harmful insects.
For example, planting resistant varieties of azalea or rhododendron will deter insects that are normally destructive to these shrubs, such as weevils.
