Plants that Naturally Repel Mosquitoes

Now that spring is here, it's time to plan your outdoor plantings. If you like to spend a lot of time outside on your deck or porch, these plants will help to brighten some pots or your garden and repel pesky mosquitoes at the same time!

Some personal favorites...

​BASIL:  A wonderful herb that is easy to grow that can be used in many food dishes, Basil plants can be found at your local nursery or garden center, or even in the produce section of some grocery stores. Just plant it where it will get bright light and keep its soil moist. Regular trimming, if you don't use every day like I do, will keep it from getting "leggy".

An easy recipe for a quick salad uses basil along with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Slice the mozzarella and tomatoes and arrange them on a plate alternating them; tomato, mozzarella, tomato, etc. Finely chop some fresh basil and sprinkle over the top. At serving time, drizzle balsamic vinegar over all. Enjoy on a warm summer's night!

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MARIGOLD FLOWERS:​ Add some cheerful color to your garden and give the honeybees and other pollinators a favorite source of pollen by planting easy-to-grow marigolds. Also known as "Calendula", these flowers will help to repel mosquitoes while they are growing, but can be used in soap and balms when dried.

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ROSEMARY: Great for cooking, Rosemary is beautiful when flowering and attracts butterflies! It can be grown in the garden or in pots. It's easy to use for cooking by snipping sprigs off the plant and finely chopping before adding to bread stuffing, chicken dishes, lamb, or steak. 

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CITRONELLA: This plant is used widely in insect repellents because bugs hate the smell. It's a grassy plant that can be used in the garden or yard to add to your landscaping.

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LAVENDER: This beautifully flowering plant is widely used in soaps, sachets, body sprays, and other personal care items. It looks awesome in the garden and smells lovely! It is one of our most often-used essential oils in our soaps, lotions, and baby products. Plus the bees love it!

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PEPPERMINT: This herb is another great one to use in cooking or for making teas. It can be dried or used fresh. We use it dried in our Peppermint soap and Uncle Mark's Powder and also use it to infuse our oils that are used in several of our products like Sorely Needed Massage bars. RP's Natural Dog Soap has peppermint essential oil in it to repel bugs on your pooch!

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GARLIC: This versatile plant is used mostly in cooking but makes a perfect bug repellent...and we've heard it repels vampires, too! :) When roasted, garlic will soften and sweeten slightly, making it a wonderful addition to soups, sauces, chili, gravy...you name it!

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Thanks for reading! Until next time, HAPPY PLANTING!