While mums are particularly popular during the fall season for their lasting power and bright multi-colored blooms, they aren't the only stars of the show for this upcoming season.
20.08.2024 - 08:59 / balconygardenweb.com / Editorial Team
We’ve all been here—when we casually step out to admire a bloom-filled garden in shorts and cuppa in hand, only to be ravaged by bloodthirsty mosquitoes! But this fear ends now! We give you plants that mosquitoes really hate—grow them and naturally repel these dreadful twilight monsters!
Botanical Name: Lantana camara
Lantana’s essential oils exude a strong scent that the dengue-causingAedes mosquitoes find overwhelming! Unlike most plants, both its tiny, colorful flower clusters and rough, serrated leaves carry this fragrance. Growing it around the entrance, rubbing the crushed foliage of this plant, or tossing it into a burning fire can also repel mosquitoes. You can learn more about this in our post!
This perennial shrub thrives in full sun and moist or dry soil. However, it also adapts easily to poor soil conditions and is quite invasive, outcompeting native species. But with really pretty blooms, you can contain its wilderness by growing them in pots orhanging baskets.
Botanical Name: Cymbopogon
Easily the most hated by mosquitoes, citronella grass effectively repels bugs with its citrus-like fragrance. There are two primary varieties—Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon winterianus—that comprise essential oils such as citronellal, citronellol, and geraniol, all useful in disgusting mosquitoes and several other bugs, including ants!
Botanical Name: Nepeta cataria
Next on our list of plants mosquitoes really hate is one our feline babies love! Catnip has a strong scent due to a compound called nepetalactone, which stimulates cats much like cannabis affects humans! And it’s almost as effective in repelling mosquitoes!
The plant has deeply serrated ovate green leaves and tiny whitish or purplish flowers that grow on vertical
While mums are particularly popular during the fall season for their lasting power and bright multi-colored blooms, they aren't the only stars of the show for this upcoming season.
From minimalism to sci-fi fandom, this plant’s symmetrical, coin-like foliage, slender stems, and glossy, lush green hues satisfy all sleek decor needs.
Whether you're redecorating or renovating a kitchen, your cabinets are just as important as the walls and tiles.
Boxwood (Buxus) are slow-growing shrubs that lend year-round evergreen symmetry and structure to a space. Popular as hedges and topiaries, poor practices like over-shearing have made it unviable and vulnerable to disease. Here are the best alternatives to the quintessential boxwood, which is likely more manageable and natural to your setting!
Why do some potted plants never bloom enough and eventually wither and die? There are many factors involved, which can lead to little or no blossoms in container plants but there is one small miscalculation that you do is the ultimate reason behind their failure.
You heard all about how the spider plant is super hardy and resilient, how it purifies the air and is the best houseplant ever—and got yourself one for your home. But now, it just appears dull and colorless, and you’re filled with regret. Before you lose hope, let’s give your tropical baby a much-deserved day at the spa. Here’s how to make your spider plant shinier & brighter!
You don’t need a big backyard or orchard to enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) of your gardening labor! For an abundant fall and winter harvest, you just need pots and some empty space open to the sun, like a balcony, patio, or rooftop!
Nothing spoils “blissfully lost in the garden” feels like rodents! Be it your fresh lettuce, juicy strawberries, or even cardboard boxes and electrical wires—rats spare none! They are easily the scourge of all your prized garden staples, but we show you how to keep a rat-free garden without hurting them as much as possible!
Florida’s climate is one of its most important assets. Nicknamed the “Sunshine State,” Florida boasts a humid subtropical climate in the north and central sections along with a tropical climate throughout a majority of the south. The state's native plants are already well suited for its climate and soil conditions, so they can usually thrive without additional irrigation or fertilization.
While I’m always sad to see the longer, lazier days of summer go away, I’m also a lifelong fan of that new school-year feeling. Although I might not enjoy my fresh box of crayons and brand-new book bag anymore, I do have two kiddos who do.
What’s a snake plant without its bright, glossy green leaves and bold yellow stripes? But sometimes, with neglect and unsuitable conditions, even this hardy succulent may succumb to dullness. We share simple tricks that help you unlock its full aesthetic potential and nurse it back to glory! Check it out.
A few strategically chosen plants can turn any boring concrete pool area into a lush tropical retreat.