humane pest control for your garden II
Combatting Pests & Diseases
Here are some more ways you can keep your garden free of unwanted visitors without resorting to unpleasant means. Use some of my simple ways to outwit garden pests and ward off diseases by using plant deterrents and some clever homespun trickery instead.
Herbs
In common usage the term is applied to aromatic plants whose leaves, flowers or seeds have medicinal or culinary uses. We have all heard of the Hippocratic Oath, which comes from the Greek physician Hippocrates who listed many hundreds of herbal remedies which were in common use for many centuries. The romans who adopted many of the Greek customs introduced them to Britain. Certain drugs however are still obtained from natural sources today.
However, our interest is in the protection of our cultivated plants in our own gardens. In general few pests attack herbs, and few diseases affect them. Therefore, by planting them around the garden amongst your flowering plants you can ward off insects and also enjoy the herbs and their pretty flowers in your salads and cooking.
Flies
Plant southernwood and tansy, their pungent aroma is detested by flies, also laurel leaves shredded or pulped in water give off a potent substance called glucoside and is deadly to insects. This substance can be useful when eating or barbecuing outdoors. The colour yellow is one that attracts flies and insects so by placing the same mix in a yellow dish for use in the home, the greenhouse or conservatory it will help alleviate this problem.
Caterpillars
Planting wormwood or southernwood will see off any caterpillars or wondering butterflies wanting to lay their eggs in your precious vegetable patch.
Rabbits
If you live in a rural or semi-rural location and are troubled by rabbits you will find that they will avoid any areas where foxgloves are growing, they also have an aversion to onions, so plant these with any young saplings and provide a tree guard to protect from the teeth of the rabbit.
Ants
Place pennyroyal in pots by your door, sprinkle cayenne pepper around the threshold which is also very effective. Ants dislike pot marigolds, lupins and pyrethrums. To avert an infestation around your fruit trees, crush the stems of lupins and rub the juice onto the trunk of the tree.
Fleas and Lice
If you keep domestic chickens which are themselves invaluable as a pest control, eating slugs, snails, leatherjackets and a vast array of insect life. To avoid infestation of the chickens and their living quarters, plant camomile, hollyhocks, pyrethrum and ferns around the general area of the coop. Aviculturists could provide dried lavender flowers at nesting times to the breeding birds as this helps to ward off mites.
Dogs
By planting rue or the lesser wall rue at the entrance to your property it will help to ward off our four legged friends thinking of entering your garden.
All the plants named above are easily obtained from garden centres or plant nurseries; rarer plants however are generally available from herb specialists. Rue may be available from wildflower seed merchants.
Our precious herbaceous plants have their origins in wild plants. By careful selection and cross breeding over hundreds of years we have the truly wonderful plants we have today, for nearly every weed and wildflower are invested with some reputed properties, for everything wild is a hundred times stronger than anything tame.
Image credit: Gary Bendig on Unplash
