These Plants Naturally Repel Bugs
If you’re looking for an easy way to keep mosquitos and other bugs away, plant a container garden full of naturally-repellent plants! It’ll enhance your outdoor patio or deck while repelling those tiny pests!
Bug-Repellent Plants
Isn’t it great there are plants that bugs are naturally prone to dislike?? You don’t need chemical sprays or anything fancy to keep mosquitos away. Just a few trusty plants!
Any combination of these plants will work:
- Citronella
- Peppermint
- Marigolds
- Lemongrass
- Lemon balm
- Lavender
And my favorite part about this project is that it also decorates your outdoor living space at the same time! So pick up a cute planter or two while you’re getting your plants. I used this resin-based whiskey barrel planter* and a smaller one in a different color for some variety.
Add Soil and Plants
Since the whiskey barrel planter I’m using is so deep, I like to start by putting some empty grow pots or water bottles in the bottom of the planter. It keeps it from getting too heavy and I can get away with using less soil.
Plan out where your plants will go in your container before you get to planting. The plants I selected have 3 different heights. So I’m going to start with the shortest, peppermint, in the front.
A fun fact is that peppermint and spearmint are very invasive plants. They have a high spread rate and can take over a garden in no time! So it’s recommended to keep them confined to a container or planter.😬
After my peppermint is in place, I move on to the medium-height Citronella. It’s commonly referred to as ‘the mosquito plant’. Depending on the size of your planter you may need more or less plants to fill it out!
I love using Lemongrass in a container like this because it’s so tall and has a fun texture! Put your largest plant, whichever you choose, in the back of your container so it doesn’t hide the others.
Video Tutorial
This container garden was made in partnership with Exmark Mowers*. You can watch my video tutorial on this project for more tips and tricks and to see this ‘how-to’ in action! Their Backyard Life site is full of other fun outdoor projects too!
Speaking of video tutorials, remember when I made this wooden initial herb garden? You could plant some of these same bug-repellent plants in it too!
If you follow this easy way to keep mosquitos away and make your own bug-repellent garden, tag me (@checkinginwithchelsea) and use the hashtag #backyardlife on social!
Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea
*This post may contain affiliate links.*
I love the tray idea. You give out a lot of help to people like me. I live in a mobil home and this will give my porch a great new look.
Love it, Liane! Thanks for sharing! ~Chelsea
I love your video yes Chelsea you do a great job and explain it well but I’m trying to find out where did you buy your screen when you spray paint or paint in the house I saw the program but I never found the screen that you have is there any way you can email me and let me know where I can get one I do a lot of projects on my land and that screen thing will be perfect for me thank you so much for your shows and your input so I miss Bobby
Hi! Here’s a commissionable link to get a similar spray shelter: https://amzn.to/37lYKno
Thanks!
Chelsea
Hi Chelsea…I always enjoy watching you and your Dad’s show on television and also your idea’s online. Looking at the picture of you sitting on your porch of your old home, which looks so inviting, I wondered if you added the porch overhang (ceiling) or was it already there? We moved to a condo, added and extended a concrete patio that faces a pond, but only have an unbrella for protection from the sun and depending what time of the day it is the protection is limited. We need ideas for adding an economical roof for our porch area. Thank you for any comments you may make on this. Congratulations on your new home.
Hi Jackie! We did add the porch to the house. The whole roof structure is tied back into the roof structure of the house, so I would say not economical! Have you seen or heard of shade or sail cloths? I had one for a time on our back deck attached to some shepherd’s hooks from a previous project (https://checkinginwithchelsea.com//staging/video/hanging-lights-around-a-deck/). But you could also attach them to 4×4 or 6×6 posts on the outside of your patio like we did in this episode of Today’s Homeowner: https://todayshomeowner.com/video/from-plain-patio-to-relaxing-retreat/. Hope that helps! ~Chelsea
I will be trying your bug repellent idea.
Wonderful!
Thank you, I need to do this. Living in south Louisiana it is hard to enjoy our patio because of the bugs.
I know the feeling! And since it’s hot for so long, you’ve still got time to reap the benefits! ~Chelsea
Now I know how to refresh my 4 foot stock tank planter here in Baldwin County. Thanks Chelsea!!
Wahoo, Christine!
I am definitely going to try the bug repellent idea! I would also love to see tips for getting a home ready to sell! Thanks Chelsea!
Awesome, Sharon! House selling post will be live sometime tomorrow! ~Chelsea
Enjoyed your web page. I have a somewhat personnel question. Was your grandfather Lanny Lipford. He grew up in Bonham,TX. Graguated highschool in 1955. I was in same class. I apologise for the question, but have been querious for some time.
No, my Lipfords are from Marianna, FL. Ha!
Hi Chelsea! We are retired and have moved into a 34 ft camper on our Fowl River-Canal-extension lot. A one room cabin and screened porch – and large dock/deck over the water is already in place. We spend most time outdoors, and have had a port-potty to use before getting the camper and county sewer hookups. We found we like having the porta-potty to avoid tracing into the camper – but what an eyesore. I decided to move it and enclose it with vinyl lattice panels. I need tips! I didn’t anticipate having to build a wooden frame. Danny has mentioned on the show a product for porch posts, to avoid sinking the wood in the dirt. What do I ask for when I go to Home Depot? We did order some lattice panel stands for free standing panels, but for the potty enclosure I want something more substantial. Any ideas? I’m 76 – hubby is 78. Can’t do a lot of heavy stuff but we are both strong. He was a merchant marine and I was raised on a ranch where, if we wanted something, we had to build it. I can’t toss around boxes of baling wire any longer, but I do whatever heavy lifting needs doing since his hip and knee replacement. Would appreciate any ideas you have that could facilitate the project.
Hi Elaine, I believe the product you’re referencing for porch posts is a composite material that won’t rot. The best way to build a substantial frame to conceal the potty is by putting 4×4 posts in concrete in the ground. It’s recommended for them to be at least 2 feet in ground. Perhaps there’s a teenager or college student you could hire for a few hours to dig holes and help you hoist the posts into the ground? Hope this helps! Best, Chelsea
I have a small bathroom (1956) ranch..
From the sink wall to the back wall facing the backyard is 57 inches and from the tub to the wall behind the toilet is 56 inches, I did not include the tub, with just that area of floor space would a sink cabinet take up tooooo much space, I currently have a pedestal sink and the basin has a crack in it but not thru the porcelain, with an oversized basin…
I would like to get a cabinet with a smaller basin. I also have a bath fitter insert for my shower which was cut around the sink because of the oversized sink basin. There is a 2 inch piece of insert that was cut on the insert so the sink would fit on the wall, called them to see if they could just replace the strip from the ceiling to the tub that was cut for the sink, they said the whole insert would cost $1600. Are you kidding me…
..If you saw this I know you probably could figure out a way to use something to use to replace the plastic that was cut around the sink, thats what I call it, ”plastic”…
Thanks ahead..
I am just getting to the part of my new shed where I can plant lemon grass in front of the porch I am building on one side , the other side is the ramp for the 10×16 shed . I love the smell of lemongrass . I may make planters to hang on the deck railings for some lemon grass but would like a spiller to go over the edge of them . Are there any spllers that are bug repellents . I was going to go with sweet potato vine . I have all my rain barrels to water them .I used on the top of each rain barrel sweet potaato vines and they are growing great . I just attached a piece of window screen to thje top of the rainbarrel and put the plant in the screen with no dirt at all . I wired the screen to the barrels
Chelsea.
Really enjoy you and your dad in the series.
I miss some of the episodes but I’ll catch up.
You two seem to make these improvements look so simple.
Love the look of your porch and the color of your cushions!🥰
Thank you for all your ideas.