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| Photo Credit: Johnny’s Selected Seeds |
| Mint isn’t just for tea – it’s great for keeping ants at bay. |
Herbs have been a natural pesticide for centuries. Sure, you can buy plenty of natural garden pesticides today with a variety of herb oils as their base. But the easiest – and most beautiful – way to harness the power of herbs is to plant them amidst your favorite plants.
How do herbs keep bugs away? Well, various herbs work differently. Some herbs just deter pests with either a repelling scent or taste (or both). Others lure bugs and slugs away from your prized plants. And some operate as beneficial companions to your garden favorites, bringing out the best in your flowers, fruits or vegetables and literally enhancing their scent or flavor. If you’re in the market for a natural pest repellent, there are many herbs you can try. Generally speaking, herbs emit a scent somewhat like camphor that keeps insects away. Some plants, like basil (Ocimum basilicum) and sage (Salvia officinalis), produce chemicals in their leaves that repel flying insects. (Some gardeners also believe that basil prevents mildew from growing cucumbers if you plant it nearby your food crop.) | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Johnny’s Selected Seeds | | Pennyroyal is a wonderful deterrent to ants, aphids, ticks, fleas and cabbage maggots. |
If sugar ants are the culprit of your garden woes, make a point of including tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) in your planting palette. If other ants are an issue, try planting mints (Mentha), southernwood (Artemesia abrotanum) and pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium). You can grow creeping or upright pennyroyal – both sport bright green leaves and exude a strong peppermint scent. This wonderful herb also deters aphids, ticks, fleas and cabbage maggots, and it’s great around broccoli, cabbage and roses.
Herbs with aromatic leaves like hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), savory (Satureja) and dill (Anethum graveolens) draw insect pests away from your prize plants. (Hyssop roots are also said to purify the surrounding soil.) These herbs are great among cabbage, grapes and carrots.
Other culinary herbs that serve double duty are rosemary (Rosmarinus offincinalis) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris). These beauties lure slugs away from beans, carrots and cabbage and they repel cabbage moths, beetles and mosquitoes. (Thyme is also reportedly great for eggplant and tomatoes. A small border of this popular culinary herb can beautify any garden area.)
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