how to repel pests
Take some of the hassle of summer gardening companion planting. This bed planning technique encourages combining plants that have a natural benefit, like pest or animal prevention. Here's how one reader tried out a common companion planting combo in her yard.
Wanda Lau spends her days working forKSS Architects(you might remember them from thedaylighting story) and her spare time tending her backyard garden. As someone who is short on time, she puts a premium on simple gardening techniques that'll save her time in the long run. Such as:Companion planting. She incorporated marigolds amongst her herb, perennial and vegetable plantings to dissuade animals from treating the beds as their personal buffet. Another benefit to incorporating marigolds is that they'll repel aphids and mosquitoes.
Interested in companion plantings? Here are a few other common choices:
- Peppermint: Repels ants, white cabbage moths and aphids.
- Garlic: Repels Japanese beetles, fleas and aphids.
- Basil: Repels flies and mosquitoes.
Companion planting is a key principle in organic gardening (who knew?). To brush up on some more pesticide-free garden techniques, check out...
How to Make a Gardening Plan for Organic Gardening Video
What every organic garden needs
Organic Gardening 101
And to see a pro's approach to companion planting, watch this...
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
