Plants vs Mosquitos!

Nothing disturbs a lazy summer evening spent enjoying a bottle of wine with friends on the terrace, while watching the last rays of sun play amongst the plants in the garden, more than mosquitos!  After a few moments of flaying hands and baleful looks, one has the choice to either gather everything to head inside or endure the torture, knowing that the next day will mean itchy bumps everywhere.  So without a doubt, I was delighted to find this gem of an article outlining a few plants that help to keep stinging, unwanted intruders at bay.

Pflanzen gegen die Gelsenplage — Green Rabbit || Gartenplanung, Gartengestaltung, Balkongestaltung, Terrassenplanung, Innenraumbegrünung, Balkonplanung, Urban Gardening.

For my English-speaking readers, here’s the gist of the article.  Green Rabbit, a new garden planning company in Vienna, has outlined 5 plants that help to keep mosquitos away.

• Walnut (Jungla nigra) is known from the Middle Ages to keep mosquitos away.
• Lavender (Lanvundula angustifolia) not only smells great, but is lovely to look upon as well.  These easy-to-care-for plants with the gorgeous purple flowers lend a Mediterranean air to every garden.
• Mint (Mentha) of every type, and there are as many types as you can imagine, is easy to care for and can be used to create many tasty meals and drinks.
• Marigold (Tagetes erecta) smells awful to mosquitoes but are incredibly tasty to snails and slugs, so watch out!
• Lemon thyme or Citrus thyme (Thymus citriodorus) is a lemon-scented, low-lying member of the thyme family – again, of which there are many – that is too intensive for most stinging insects to bear.

Of course, there’s the usual disclaimer that these plants are not 100% effective, but any help they offer beats being held prisoner inside or suffering itchy welts all summer long.  Can’t wait to pick up a few pots for the terrace area; which will you add to yours?