These Plants Will Keep Bugs Out of Your Garden

Not everyone is comfortable spraying or sprinkling pest repellents in their yard. If you're in this camp, try these plants to keep bugs out of your yard.

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lavender
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Lace Your Lawn with Lavender

Known to keep fleas and mosquitoes at bay, lavender smells great and can be used in many other ways. You should note, though, that bees are attracted to lavender (and these nine other plants).

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basil
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Plant Basil In Your Yard and House

Basil keeps away mosquitoes and flies. It can be grown in pots or in the garden. And you can keep a pot in your kitchen to keep any pesky flies away from your food.

Editor’s Tip: If you are an avid vegetable gardener, you likely battle garden pests regularly. Learn how you can try the huckleberry plant hack yourself to preserve your plants without pesticides.

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garlic
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Grow Garlic

Growing garlic is a great way to ensure garden pests are under control. There are two benenfits; you’ll be able to cook delicious meals with the garlic you grow, and it’s also a proven way to repel Japanese beetle and keep deer away from your plants.

Take a look at another garlic ingredient you can cook with—elephant garlic.

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fennel
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Fennel Fends Off Snails

Grossed out by slugs and snails? Fennel is a natural repellent that also has many uses in the kitchen.

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grass
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Line Your Lawn with Lemongrass

Mosquitoes can ruin an outdoor party, so plant lemongrass because the scent is said to be a natural deterrent.

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marigolds
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Marigolds Combat Mosquitoes

Looking for a way to keep mosquitoes away that’s also nice to look at? Plant marigolds. There are a variety of different colors and heights available.

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mint
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Make the Most of Mint

Cost effective and fast-growing, mint repels a multitude of bugs including mosquitoes. Also, grow some indoors for pests that make their way in!

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Chrysanthemum
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Chrysanthemums Can Be Beautiful and Repellent

Pretty and potent to pests, chrysanthemums keep away some of the most despised bugs including mosquitoes, roaches, beetles, ticks and silverfish!

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violet
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Protect Your Produce with Alliums

Bugs are often attracted to fresh fruits and vegetables, whether it’s tomatoes, cucumbers, or any of the other delicious plants growing in your garden. Alliums keep away cabbage worms, carrot flies, slugs and other bugs that love to eat what you’re growing.

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purple
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Pepper Your Garden with Petunias

Petunias repel aphids, are bright, beautiful and easy to maintain. Plant petunias and enjoy their beauty and your bug-free garden. If you’ve never seen a flower tower, check out the petunias and other flower and herbs growing in these 12 flower tower examples.

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flytrap
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Venus Fly Traps Work Inside and Out

Plant Venus Fly Traps and bring some potted ones indoors. These aren’t just fun to watch, but they actually do trap flies and another despised bug, the ant. Check out these nine myths to stop believing about ants.

Julia K. Porter
Dr. Julia Porter has worked in Higher Education since 2008, following a career as a High School teacher in Brooklyn, NY. She holds a PhD in Global Leadership from Indiana Tech, an MA in English Literature from Brooklyn College, and a BS in English Education from Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI). She lives in Indiana with her husband, daughter, and rambunctious Australian Shepherd.