Nothing can ruin the enjoyment of your summer garden or get together like mosquitoes. Mosquitoes don't like a few familiar herbs that you can use to stay bite-free this season. Keep the crushed leaves of these herbs in a small container on your patio to repel them. Except for the marigold and wormweed, which can cause contact dermatitis, you can rub the crushed leaves on your skin for added protection.
Here are the 6 herbs:
1. Catnip- A perennial for some gardeners and an annual for others, catnip has been found to be 10 times more effective than DEET at keeping mosquitoes away. Cat will crush this plant if it is in a garden, so you might want to grow a couple of plants in a hanging basket.
2. Marigold- This sun-loving annual also repels aphids and is an excellent plant for your vegetable garden. Do not rub on your skin.
3. Rosemary- The oil of this shrub is heavenly to most humans, but disgusting to mosquitoes. It is an attractive plant for container or herb gardens. it requires little water and it is delicious when cooking meat, soup, and egg dishes.
4. Lemongrass- This plant has a lemony scent that mosquitoes hate. With a little patience, it can be grown from stalks sold at the market. It prefers full sun and good drainage. This is a tropical plant and won't tolerate freezing temperatures.
5. Mint- Many mint oils are unpleasant to mosquitoes, so keep a pot or two of these hardy and aromic plants around. It is best to keep mint in containers, since they spread easily.
6. Wormwood- This perennial has a silvery foliage and can be grown in full sun. Makes a good border plant and has a pungent odor that keeps mosquitoes away. Do not rub this on your skin.
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