Your patio this summer doesn’t have to be a battleground. Instead of reaching for sprays and lighting citronella candles that barely work, you can actually plant your way to a pest-free entertaining space—and garden expert Carmen Johnston swears by it.
The secret? Strong-smelling herbs and flowers that humans find pleasant but insects find absolutely unbearable. Plants like lavender, basil, rosemary, and marigolds each target different pests, but the real MVP is citronella. According to Johnston, citronella is by far the most popular plant that repels mosquitoes, and she’s found a clever way to deploy it: mix small eight-inch terra cotta pots filled with citronella into your outdoor centerpieces. This brings the plant directly to where you’re sitting, amplifying its scent where it matters most.
But here’s the catch—one lonely basil pot hidden behind your grill won’t cut it. Placement and clustering are everything. The most effective strategy is arranging pest-repelling plants along the edges of your patio or dining table, grouping several varieties together to cover multiple threats. Citronella handles mosquitoes, marigolds tackle flies and aphids, and chrysanthemums add another layer with their natural compounds that work against several insects at once. Occasionally brush or crush the leaves to release their oils and send that scent into the air where the bugs can actually smell it.
Catnip might sound like a joke, but Madeline Buiano notes in Martha Stewart that mosquitoes hate catnip (Nepeta cataria)—the very same plant that your cats love. Rosemary is another standout, especially in warm regions. As Annie Burdick and Jamie McIntosh write in The Spruce, the scent of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is a deterrent to mosquitoes and other garden pests like cabbage moths, and it adorns your patio all summer while keeping threats at bay.
The bottom line: scent does most of the work. Strong-smelling plants like rosemary, mint, lavender, and basil tend to smell unbearable to mosquitoes, which is why placement matters as much as the plant itself. But plants alone won’t solve your pest problem. Pair them with the basics: empty standing water from buckets and planters where mosquitoes breed, clean up yard debris, and keep grass and shrubs trimmed back from seating areas. Done together, the right plants and the right habits transform your outdoor space into somewhere noticeably less hospitable to uninvited guests.
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
