Are there defensive plant varieties that can be grown in the garden to protect against animals and which smells do cats not like? If you are asking yourself this question, then you are probably tired of discovering the damage caused to your garden beds. It is quite frustrating when unwanted guests damage lovingly cared for plants such as flowers and crops in the garden and leave a mess. Luckily, nature has provided an antidote and some effective herbal plants can keep annoying four-legged friends away from vegetables and the like. So consider adding natural “guardians” against this to your garden by considering the following tips and examples.
Why keep furry animals away and what smells do cats not like?
Although they help ward off pests like rats, cats can do more harm than good by rooting around between beds. Additionally, stray animals can quickly turn a home garden into a litter box. For example, if you dig into the garden soil, you often end up uprooting young plantsneighboring mixed cultureaffect. Another worrying possibility is that cat feces or urine could contaminate the substrate with pathogenic substances. All of this could lead you as a gardener to take preventive measures to make all the time and effort invested in plant care worth it.
How can you ward off four-legged friends in the garden with plants?
Certain plant species have morphological characteristics that help them repel both harmful insects and some animals themselves. This offers gardeners the opportunity to benefit from their botanical powers and keep pests away from the plants they grow. By incorporating such varieties into your landscape, you create a natural physical barrier. This will prevent cats from entering garden beds and causing the damage described above. But what's the best way to go about using plants instead of cat-proof fences and artificial deterrents? How do some flowers and herbs help in defense andwhat smells do cats like?not?
Such flowers and herbal plants are effective in repelling cats because they give off certain scents that are repellent to the animals. This happens because specific strong aromas make a cat particularly cautious about what they eatprevents itto riot the relevant garden area. So if you want to achieve the best results, you should plant such plants at the animals' preferred entry points in your home garden. It is therefore also possible to cultivate such herbs on the edges of your bed. This also ensures that other pests such as insects and wild animals stay away. Your garden will also smell better and be more diverse, although you should also be careful not to grow invasive varieties.
What flowers to plant and what smells do cats not like?
For example, one benefit of geraniums is that their scent is pleasant to humans but can keep cats away from the growing site. This type of flower can also brighten up your garden with lush blooms and act as an inviting flower. Additionally, you can also place geraniums as potted flowers on your doorstep if you want to keep unwanted guests away from your home. However, when choosing this perennial flower variety, it should be borne in mind that it also contains toxins. If you have cats or dogs as pets, you should make sure that they do not eat the plants. Symptoms such as vomiting or skin problems may occur if consumed.
Grow herbs like oregano or rosemary to ward off cats
As common ingredients in Mediterranean cuisine, some herbal plants are also suitable for warding off pests and animals. Oregano, for example, is a labiate with an intense aroma that it exudes thanks to the essential oils it contains. The perennial can therefore keep annoying visitors such as cats away just as effectively when planted densely in the garden bed. This is primarily because the plant contains a natural compound called carvacrol, which is irritating to the cat's respiratory system. However, the oregano plant leaves are also poisonous to animals and can cause stomach problems if curious pets bite them.
In addition, rosemary is also considered a repellent herb for cats because of its sweet aroma. This is a hardy, evergreen variety in the sage family that can thrive almost anywhere. But how exactly does it work and what smells do cats not like about it? In this case too, essential oils are the main reason why animals avoid such plants in the garden or as houseplants. However, the spiny leaves are also uninteresting to them because of their texture, with damaged parts of the plant giving off a particularly repulsive scent to their sense of smell. Another benefit of rosemary is that it is non-toxic to pets and is useful in many dishes.
Choose lavender as an all-rounder plant for every home garden
Everyone knows the unique scent and numerous benefits of lavender, but what smells don't cats like from this herb? For humans, the plant has a calming effect and creates a pleasant atmosphere in the garden, which is exactly the opposite for animals. Lavender is also very beneficial because you can also use it to make homemade insect repellents and plant them almost anywhere. However, you should also take into account that this type of plant poses a danger to curious pets such as dogs and domestic cats.
Why plant catnip and what smells do cats not like about it?
You can actually be strategic by using the exact opposite of defensive plant varieties in the garden. Catnip is suitable for this because the plant contains a specific compound that is irresistible to cats. This acts on your central nervous system like a drug and always attracts you, which you could use to your advantage. You can do this by growing catnip in garden areas far from yours, for examplebordered vegetable bedsare removed. This ensures that the plant distracts stray cats from your coveted plants. The scent affects their behavior and stops them from making a mess in your beds. However, please also note that this strain does not have the same effect on all types of cats.
