I had a similar mint disaster a couple summers ago. Thought I'd be clever and plant it along the edge of my patio for easy mojitos—big mistake. It spread like wildfire, and I swear every time I pulled some out, it came back stronger. Eventually, I gave up and just embraced the minty chaos until fall rolled around and I could properly tackle it.
Citronella candles are nice, but honestly, I've found their effectiveness kinda hit or miss. Maybe it's just the mosquitoes in my area—they seem extra determined. One thing that surprisingly worked for me was planting marigolds around the patio edges. My grandma always swore by them, and turns out she was onto something. They're bright and cheerful, plus mosquitoes apparently hate their scent. Bonus points: they're super low-maintenance and don't try to invade every crack between your stones...unlike certain other plants we know.
Totally agree on the marigolds—mosquitoes seem to hate them. Another trick I've found helpful:
- Lemon balm planted in pots (to avoid mint-like invasions).
- A small fan placed nearby—mosquitoes suck at flying against even a slight breeze.
Keeps things fresh and bug-free...mostly.
Marigolds and lemon balm are solid choices, but I've gotta say, my patio game changer was lavender. A couple summers ago, I planted some lavender bushes near the seating area—mostly because I liked the smell and thought they'd look nice. Turns out mosquitoes aren't fans of lavender either. Who knew?
Funny story though: my neighbor swears by citronella candles, so one night we had a little backyard get-together and she brought over like five of them. It looked like we were holding some kind of candlelit vigil for mosquitoes. Did it work? Eh...sorta. But honestly, the lavender bushes seemed to do more good than the candles ever did.
Also, totally second the fan idea. I have one of those small tabletop fans that oscillates gently—it's just enough breeze to keep bugs away without blowing napkins all over the place. Plus, it feels pretty nice on those muggy evenings.
Now if only I could find a plant that repels squirrels from digging up my flower pots...
Lavender's definitely underrated for mosquito control. I put some in last year, mostly because I love the scent, and it really did make a noticeable difference. Citronella candles...eh, I've tried them too, but honestly, they seem more decorative than effective. Plus, after a while, that citronella smell gets kinda overwhelming.
About the squirrels though—I've had some luck with peppermint oil. Not a plant exactly, but hear me out. I mix a few drops of peppermint essential oil with water in a spray bottle and spritz it around my pots every few days. Seems to discourage them from digging around (guess they're not fans of minty freshness). It's not foolproof, but it's helped cut down on the damage.
Another thing I've noticed is squirrels tend to dig more in freshly watered or loose soil. So maybe try adding some decorative stones or mulch on top? I did that with a couple of my larger pots and it made a big difference.
Speaking of patio hacks—has anyone tried using coffee grounds as fertilizer? I've been mixing used coffee grounds into my flower beds for years now, and the plants seem to love it. Plus, supposedly it deters slugs and snails too...though I'm not totally convinced on that front yet. Curious if anyone else has had success with coffee grounds or other kitchen scraps in their patio gardening?
"Citronella candles...eh, I've tried them too, but honestly, they seem more decorative than effective."
Haha, totally agree with you there. I swear, citronella candles are like the placebo of mosquito repellents—pretty to look at, but the mosquitoes just laugh at them. Lavender sounds like a much better idea, and bonus points for smelling amazing. Might have to give that a shot next summer.
Interesting tip about the peppermint oil for squirrels. I've never tried that, but it makes sense. I once planted actual peppermint thinking it'd keep critters away, but it ended up taking over half my garden instead. Lesson learned: peppermint is basically the garden equivalent of glitter—once it's there, good luck getting rid of it.
As for coffee grounds, I've been tossing mine into the flower beds for a while now, and the plants do seem happier. Not sure if it's the caffeine buzz or what, but my hydrangeas especially seem to perk up. Can't say I've noticed fewer slugs though...maybe mine are just coffee addicts? I've also heard crushed eggshells can deter slugs and snails, but honestly, I haven't seen much difference with that either. Maybe my garden pests are just extra determined.
The decorative stones idea is solid advice. I started doing that after squirrels kept uprooting my freshly planted bulbs. It definitely slowed them down, though occasionally I'll still find a determined little guy tossing stones aside like he's on a treasure hunt. Gotta admire their persistence, I guess.
Anyway, thanks for the tips—definitely gonna try the peppermint oil spray. If nothing else, my patio will smell minty fresh, right?
