ANTS, flies, spiders, mozzies and common garden pests are all having a ball this summer.
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My garden is covered in orb spider webs, swinging from one tree to another.
Yes, I have sprayed. But for those gardeners who like natural solutions there are many pest repelling plants.
They come with no guarantees and need to be planted en masse, but when chasing ants and flies at the barbecue and scratching mozzie bites at the same time anything is worth a try.
Basil is a good example. It repels flies, so put it in pots on porches and balconies to hel keep away the pests.
Make sweet basil into a spray to kill aphides, leaf miners, mozzies, spider mite and harlequin bugs.
Pour one litre of boiling water over two firmly packed cupfuls of chopped basil leaves - cool, strain and use within a few days.
Some repelling plants are quite unattractive - there are many choices so I only want beautiful in my garden.
Hence I have Tansy's soft fern-like leaves in a pot, it looks great, but beware, in the garden its root system can be invasive.
The oil in Tansy has strong insect repelling properties, discouraging ants, aphides, fleas, flies, moths and fruit fly.
Soon planting of winter crops including cabbage and cauliflower will be the next vegetables to grow after tomatoes and capsicum die off.
Part of the brassica family, unfortunately means the white cabbage butterfly will be lurking waiting to lay eggs, resulting in grubs eating the leaves.
It is interesting that some herbs including sage and rosemary mask the smell of brassicas, therefore confusing the white butterfly.
I'd suggest planting a border of sage or rosemary around the vegetable garden as both plants will act as a deterrent for other pests as well as being available for roast lamb or chicken.
Herb and vegetable garden beds can be planted with colourful flowers to create a potage garden.
To do so use marigolds, calendulars and nasturtium all of which repel insect pests. Marigolds are also one of the best plants to deter nematodes, for which there is no chemical cure.
It is believed that the roots of the pretty marigold emit a "killer" to destroy the nematodes, which attack other plants' root systems.
Dig the marigolds into the ground when they die.