Nothing can ruin a beautiful evening on your porch or patio more than being swarmed by mosquitoes, gnats, or flies. These pesky insects can make it hard to enjoy your outdoor living spaces, but the solution may be easier than you think. No, you don’t need to drench your yard in pesticides or abandon outdoor relaxation altogether; you just need to add some naturally bug repellent plants to your North Georgia landscaping!

Bug Repellent Plants for North Georgia Gardens

Why bug repellent plants are so important for North Georgia landscaping

Mosquitoes are arguably the worst pest insect to invade your yard due to their itchy, irritating bites. While mosquito bites are usually more annoying than dangerous, they can transmit serious diseases like West Nile virus, Zika virus, dengue fever, yellow fever, and malaria. Flies can also transmit a host of diseases from run-of-the-mill salmonella and conjunctivitis to serious illnesses straight out of a Victorian novel like cholera and tuberculosis. Most gnats don’t carry diseases that put humans at risk, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating when your relaxing outdoor dinner is overrun by a cloud of the little pests. 

Plants to keep mosquitoes, gnats, and flies away

Fortunately, mosquitoes, flies, and gnats have one thing in common: They’re very sensitive to smells and hate the scents of many commonly grown herbs, flowers, and landscaping plants! Some of the best bug-repelling plants to add to your landscaping include: 

• Herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme, mint, catnip, lavender, and lemon verbena. In addition to keeping bugs away, you can also enjoy adding fresh herbs to your cooking, baking, and cocktails for a fraction of the price of store-bought herbs. Even your cat will thank you if you plant some catnip, but don’t be surprised if you spot other neighborhood cats rolling around in it!
• Flowers like geraniums, marigolds, chrysanthemums, bergamot, feverfew, floss flower, and pitcher plant. Make sure to choose fragrant varieties for maximum impact. Adding these plants will not only keep bugs away, but will also add lovely smells and vibrant colors to your landscaping. 
• Grasses like lemongrass and citronella grass. Growing up to 6 feet tall and equally wide, citronella grass makes a striking addition to your landscaping, adding texture and height. If you’ve ever purchased citronella candles or torch oil to help keep bugs away from your porch, you’ll recognize the distinctive smell of the essential oil. Lemongrass doesn’t grow quite as large, but still makes a wonderful addition to your bug-repelling landscaping with a light, citrus-y smell. 

If you’re hoping to add some bug repellent plants to your North Georgia landscaping this summer, give us a call at 770-893-1254. At Whispering Springs, we are not only a plant nursery carrying a wide selection trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals, but also offer landscape design services specializing in native plants, woodland landscaping, and deer-resistant plants. 

We’ve already had some sweltering days this summer, and it’s not even the hottest month of the year! (That would be July, if you’re wondering.) It’s one of the most challenging times to keep your landscaping lush and healthy, but we’ve got some water saving tips that can help. Keep reading to learn how to save water while irrigating your North Georgia garden or lawn. We can even help you choose the best drought-resistant native plants to accentuate your woodland landscaping. 

Water Saving Tips for Summer in Georgia

The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District has some great, detailed resources to help you water your landscaping more efficiently, but these are some of the most important tips to remember:

Know when to water.

• Water early in the morning (before sunrise) or late at night (after sunset) to avoid wasting water through evaporation. Every drop counts, and watering during the cooler hours will not only save water, but also helps prevent lawns from falling victim to fungus or blight. 
• When rain is expected, turn your irrigation or sprinkler system off! Automated sprinkler systems are the biggest culprits for wasting water. 
• Only water when you need to—at the first signs of “moisture stress.” According to the NGWPD, the signs include wilting, dullness or discoloration. Another good way to tell if your lawn is thirsty is with the foot-print test. If you walk across your grass and the footprints are still visible after several minutes, your lawn needs water. If the grass springs back into position after a few minutes, you can wait a bit longer. 

Know how and how much to water.

• The turfgrass varieties most commonly grown in North Georgia (Bahia, Bermuda, Bluegrass, Fescue, Zoysia) are fine with just one inch of water per week. 
• One of the particularities of keeping a healthy lawn here in Georgia is that we have a lot of clay in our soil. That famous Georgia clay makes the soil less absorbent, which means that it doesn’t soak water up as quickly as other soils. In order to let the water from your irrigation system absorb and not just run off into the gutter or storm drain, you’ll need to make sure that you’re not delivering more than ½ inch of water per hour.
• Not sure how quickly your sprinklers deliver a ½ inch of water? Place an empty tuna can or other similarly sized container in each section of your yard, and let your sprinklers run for 30 minutes. Measure the depth of the water with a ruler and use that to determine your watering rate, or how long you’d have to let your sprinklers run to water 1 inch. 
• Adjust your automated system accordingly, or set timers on your phone to help you stay on track. You’ll not only be conserving water, you’ll also be saving on your water bill. 
• For flowers and other plantings, water at soil level. This wastes less water through evaporation, gets more water to the roots quicker, and can even protect your plants from developing fungus on the leaves.

Happy watering, and remember to call our North Georgia plant nursery to learn which plants are right for your yard.

Since we’re all spending so much time at home these days, many folks are taking the opportunity to work on their landscaping. The great thing about gardening is that it’s not only a relaxing way to pass the time, but also yields results that make your life even more enjoyable! Whether you’re eating homegrown tomatoes from a backyard vegetable garden, relaxing on your porch and enjoying the fragrance of a tea olive or gardenia plant, or even mixing up a mojito with mint grown in a kitchen container garden, there’s one thing they all have in common: They need the right soil to grow and thrive. 

Soil is one of the most important components of gardening, but many amateur gardeners don’t know much about it. If you’re thinking “Dirt is dirt, right?” get ready to have your mind blown. These are some of the most important things to know about soil. 

Soil Guide for Gardeners

In-Ground vs. Container Gardening

Being planted in a container is a very different environment for plants than being planted in the ground. If you’re growing plants on your porch, patio, window boxes, or indoors, opt for potting soil. Potting soil mixes are formulated to address the unique challenges of growing plants in containers, especially drainage and root binding. Using the correct soil will help keep your plants healthy and happy, with correct moisture levels and plenty of room to grow strong roots.

If you’re planting in the ground, you may be tempted to just dig a hole, toss your plant in, and fill it back up; however, that usually won’t give you the results you’re hoping for. Instead, you’ll need to amend the soil to create a welcoming environment for your plant, with proper pH, nutrients, and drainage. 

Types of Soil and When to Use Them

As we just discussed, potting soil is a must for any container garden… But there are so many types of soil at your local garden center, so what are all of the other ones for? 

• Top soil is used to fill holes or level ground, and isn’t suitable for planting. 
• Garden soil is used to amend (or mix in with) your existing soil, and you should use it when planting anything in the ground. Depending on the pH, clay content, and other factors of your soil, you may need a garden soil with a high or low pH to make the ground hospitable to whatever you’re planting. Garden soil contains a blend of nutrients, organic matter, and soil to give plants a head start. 
• Raised bed soil is specifically designed for—you guessed it—raised planter beds, typically used for kitchen gardens to grow vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Here in north Georgia, much of the native soil is composed of red clay, which is not the friendliest environment for plants. Clay retains water and is super dense, which leads to plants drowning or suffocating if the soil is not amended. Raised beds are an easy solution to allow north Georgia gardeners to grow strong, healthy plants without the extensive labor and cost of amending the entire area of ground. Simply fill your raised beds with raised bed soil and your garden will be set for success with properly draining and aerating soil. 

We’re open for curbside pickup, so give us a call to place your order today!