Planting this Spring? Here Are a Few Plants you Should Consider

Spring is a time when our outside world comes alive. Seeing all the new buds on the trees sends many of us straight to our local garden center to buy flowers, plants, and herbs. Did you know that the choices you make at the garden center can actually help or hurt your chances of having rodents in your home? There are many different plants that can help keep rodents away but three of the best are lavender, chrysanthemums, and mint.

Lavender is a small evergreen shrub with thin gray-green leaves but its most distinguishing feature is its stunning small purple flowers. Not only does lavender bring beautiful color to gardens, but it has a scent that people have sought out for generations as an elixir to instill calm. In fact, according to the Harlem Candle Company, lavender was the third most popular scent of 2022. Lavender is very popular with people, not with rodents. In fact, rodents find the smell so repugnant that it is actually used as a natural rodent repellent.
Planting lavender around your home should deter rodents. For added benefit, you can cut sprigs from the lavender you plant, dry it and then fill sachets with the lavender. Placing these sachets around your house will both smell nice as well as give an added incentive for rodents to stay away.

Another colorful plant that rodents hate is the chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum, which are commonly referred to as mums, come in a variety of different colors and sizes. The immense variety means that you are bound to find something that fits your color tastes. When it comes to deterring rodents, chrysanthemums are great because they bloom in the fall when mice like to enter your home.
There is one very important caveat to planting chrysanthemums in your garden, they are known to be toxic to both dogs and cats. If eaten they can cause diarrhea, vomiting, excessive drooling, and more. If you plant these beautiful flowers, make sure to do so in an area that cannot be accessed by your pets. If you are concerned that your pets could get to them, although they are beautiful, you may wish to keep chrysanthemums off your garden store list.

Lastly, you should consider planting mint. Mint is a perennial herb so you may only have to purchase it once from the garden center. Mint comes in many varieties with a number of different scents and flower colors. One common trait among all mint plants is their square stem. You should choose the mint that you like best, but if you like them all you may want to go with peppermint and spearmint because they are thought to be the best plants to repel rodents. Like lavender, mint can be dried and used around the house. It can also be cut and used fresh in teas or other drinks. A word of caution when planting mint, it spreads easily so you may want to plant it in pots to keep it contained.

Using these plants can be very helpful in keeping rodents out of your home. If mice or rats still find a way in, call Cowleys quickly before a few rodents become an infestation.