Gardening tips: Expert on how to grow lavender at home
Cats are allowed to roam and enter different gardens as they please, which means to some extent, gardeners should expect them to use it as a toilet.
However, it can be incredibly frustrating when they do, as cats can cause permanent garden damage when they foul in flower beds.
While there are a variety of ways to deter cats, it is important to keep it humane and natural, using plants for example.
1. Lavender
Felines reportedly hate the smell of lavender and are much less likely to go to the toilet around areas with this beautiful flower.
While it can be a relaxing scent for humans, cats find it very strong due to their powerful sense of smell.
Fortunately, gardeners can grow lavender in almost any part of the garden, including in borders, herb gardens and containers.
This means it is possible to plant it wherever cats are likely to dig and go to the toilet. What’s more, it can also help to repel pests such as mosquitoes too.
2. Rosemary
The experts at GardeningKnowHow also recommended planting rosemary, rue and pennyroyal which cats are known to “avoid”.
Similar to lavender, rosemary is another of the smells that cats hate because it can be overwhelmingly strong, even for humans.
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One bonus for gardeners growing rosemary is that it is evergreen, meaning it can deter felines all year round.
Plant this type of sage in a sunny spot with well-draining soil, either in containers or a border, and pets will stay away for good.
3. Rue
Common rue keeps cats away because of its “offensive” scent they can smell from it, although this isn’t as pungent towards humans.
Plant rue outside and sprinkle some of its leaves on the patio or inside if you need to keep cats away from these areas.
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Rue leaves are toxic to both people and pests so make sure to wear gloves if planting this. Due to its strong scent, cats shouldn’t go near it, but make sure to keep it away from any feline who likes to eat lots in the garden.
4. Pennyroyal
Pennyroyal looks like mint and even tastes like mint, but unlike mint, contains pulegone, which is toxic to the liver.
The plant is frequently used as a natural pest repellent, and can be used by laying freshly cut stems around pest-prone areas, or dry stems and leaves to use in natural mixtures.
It grows best in partial sunlight, especially dappled light, but full sun is also tolerated as long as they are getting adequate moisture.
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