Safely Stop and Smell the Roses

The bright side of this pandemic, the hoomans are forced to stay home more WITH ME! Part of our 'new normal' has been to get fresh air outside in our tiny backyard. At the beginning of shelter-in-place, we'd water the plants and sit outside and read. But Meowmy kept getting bit by mosquitoes.

We did a little research and learned that certain pretty plants not only looked and smelled good, but also repelled mosquitoes, AND were safe for me. In case you didn't know, not all plants that repel mosquitoes (or in general) are safe for cats, if ingested. According to the Animal Humane Society and ProFlowers, the following plants will repel mosquitoes and are safe for cats:

Basil

Catnip*

Lavender*

Lemon balm

Peppermint

Rosemary*

Bee Balm

Citronella

Floss Flower

Garlic

Lemongrass

Marigold

Sage

Scented Geranium

Pennyroyal

*We started out with catnip, lavender, and rosemary to give it a try, before going overboard.

Mom and Dad are not pro gardeners, so sending them on a mission to get these was not an easy task! 🤦‍♂️ If you're anything like them, Home Depot and Loews will probably be your best bet. Beginner's Gardening Tip: It's best to re-pot them when you get home. So while you're at the store, you might want to pick up some gardening gloves and extra soil (if you don't already have some). For convenience, you can also purchase pots at the store you're buying the plants from. But another tip: Don't waste your money buying pots from Home Depot or Lowes, you can get more affordable ones from your local Ross or Marshalls OR Amazon. Here's some pots we bought from Amazon that came in sets of three. We highly recommend, as the quality of the pots and the level of care they took to ship them were great!

Bottom line: The plants work!...we think...I don't bite or eat the plants, Meowmy hasn't gotten anymore mosquito bites while out there, and the section of the backyard that has the lavender and rosemary smells amazing! Our little yard is still a work in progress, so we hope to share updates once we've made more improvements.

Meowmy wants a rocking chair and I want a cool napping spot for me and my furriends! Show me your backyard and if you have any gardening and/or mosquito tips - please share (we need it)!