Mosquito-Repellent Herbs and Flowers

Michigan’s state bird is technically the Robin, but I swear it should be the mosquito…

In my years away from the Great Lake state, I’d forgotten how ferocious those little bugs could be. Especially when you live in suburbia. Swatting away mosquitoes and dosing yourself in stinky mosquito-repellent spray is a must.

Last summer we put in a patio, and this year we added a pergola.

It’s so cozy and comfy we want to be able to spend time out here.

I’m a writer/journalist lucky enough to work at home a lot of the time. That means early in the morning before the heat rolls in and late in the evening when life calms down, you’ll find me and my laptop working right outside.

Just me and the robins and the bunnies and… the mosquitoes.

See that pink flamingo pillow? That’s my favorite spot.

Apparently pink flamingo pillows attract mosquitoes?

Once the pergola was finally done this summer, and I could sit out here to write, I was constantly battling them.

Since I have Lupus, I try to avoid chemicals whenever I can. We also have little people around here, and I sure wasn’t excited about dunking them in harsh chemical sprays either, so I started looking for alternatives.

That’s when I noticed how the mosquitoes seemed to be staying away from the side of our patio that was lined with petunias, basil, geraniums, and other stronger-scented plants.

That side of the patio seemed to largely be free of the little buggers. Coincidence? Hmmmm…. I’m not a believer in coincidence.

So I jumped on Google and did a little research. Turns out, there are some plants, flowers, and herbs that shoo mosquitoes away.

Natural mosquito-repellent herbs and garden flowers? That’s right up my alley.

Mosquitoes Be Gone: Herbs and Flowers That Keep the Bugs Away

Here’s what the experts say can help you avoid being bitten by the bugs:

• Herbs like basil, rosemary, oregano, lavender, lemon balm, mint, and lemon grass
• Annuals such as marigolds, geraniums, and petunias of all varieties

I shuffled containers around, added herbs to pots that were closest to our seating area and sliding door, and generally created a ring of mosquito-repellent herbs and flowers around the patio.

I actually think petunias work better than bug spray!

I originally intended this basket to go on the ground, but the bunnies were mowing through it.

No, not the flowers. The seagrass basket itself!! Crazy right?

They were hopping past bowls of lettuce, chard, and other greens to eat… the basket.

Since I’d put a few coats of sealant on it, I moved it up on to the table. No sick bunnies that way!

 

I like keeping the herbs I use most often near the sliding door too. Easy access when I’m cooking or making Raspberry-Basil Lemonade.

Rosemary, oregano, and parsley at home in this rack my pops and I made last year.

Chives, mint, and a few wave petunias mixed in with chard and lettuce.

While these herbs and flowers have really cut down on the mosquitoes… the bunnies? Not so much.

This little dude is actually eating the lettuce I got to replant this colander. To replace the lettuce he ate the day before… saving me a little time I guess eating it right out of the pack?

Good thing they are so cute right?

It’s been a few weeks now, and the mosquito traffic is soooo much better. I might pick up a few citronella candles or lanterns, but mostly because I’ve seen some cute ones out there!

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Until next time,

Shelley

Here’s a quick pic you can pin to use if you decide to tackle a mosquito-repellent container garden of your own!