Tag Archives: Patio

Mosquito Repellent Plants for Small Yards: A Natural and Aesthetic Solution For homeowners with limited outdoor space, the hum of mosquitoes can quickly turn a serene patio or balcony into a no-go zone

December 15, 2025   Shane

While chemical repellents and citronella candles are common solutions, integrating mosquito-repellent plants into your small yard offers a beautiful, sustainable, and fragrant alternative. These plants work by producing natural oils and scents that mosquitoes find offensive, effectively creating a living barrier. Here’s a guide to the most effective plants that fit perfectly in compact gardens, container arrangements, and tight corners.

Top Mosquito-Repellent Plants for Compact Spaces

1. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
A member of the mint family, lemon balm releases a strong citrus scent when its leaves are brushed or crushed. It’s a hardy perennial that thrives in containers, making it ideal for patios. Be mindful—it can spread readily, so keeping it in a pot is best for small spaces.

2. Lavender (Lavandula)
Renowned for its soothing purple blooms and calming fragrance, lavender is detested by mosquitoes. This sun-loving, drought-tolerant plant is perfect for borders, small garden beds, or decorative pots. Its elegant appearance adds a touch of Provencal charm to any setting.

3. Marigolds (Tagetes)
These vibrant annuals contain pyrethrum, a compound used in many insect repellents. Their cheerful orange and yellow flowers brighten up small spaces while deterring mosquitoes. They excel in container gardens, window boxes, and as border plants.

4. Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Studies have shown that catnip can be even more effective than DEET at repelling mosquitoes. It’s a vigorous grower, so for a small yard, dedicated containment in a pot is essential—unless you want to share with every feline in the neighborhood!

5. Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
This culinary favorite does double duty. The strong aroma of its leaves, especially lemon or cinnamon basil varieties, helps keep pests at bay. Grow it in herb pots near seating areas for convenient harvesting and protection.

6. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
This woody, aromatic herb thrives in hot, dry conditions and does well in containers. Its pine-like scent is wonderful for cooking but repulsive to mosquitoes. It can be pruned into attractive topiaries for a formal look.

7. Scented Geraniums (Pelargonium citrosum)
Often called the “mosquito plant,” this geranium variety has a strong lemony scent similar to citronella grass. It performs best in pots and prefers plenty of sunlight, making it a great choice for balconies and sunny decks.

Designing with Repellent Plants in a Small Yard

Maximizing a limited area requires smart design:
* Container Gardening: This is your greatest asset. Use a variety of pots, hanging baskets, and window boxes to create vertical interest and keep invasive plants in check.
* Strategic Placement: Cluster pots near doorways, around seating areas, and along walkways to create protective zones where you spend the most time.
* Multi-Sensory Gardens: Combine plants like lavender, rosemary, and mint to create a fragrant, textured, and functional garden that appeals to the senses while repelling insects.
* The Power of Crushing: Gently bruising the leaves of plants like lemon balm or basil releases more of their essential oils, boosting their repellent effect when you’re sitting outside.

Important Considerations for Effectiveness

While these plants are excellent deterrents, they are not a forcefield. Their effectiveness is most potent within a few feet of the plant and when their leaves are disturbed. For best results:
* Integrate them into a broader mosquito control strategy, such as eliminating standing water (in saucers under pots!).
* Use fans on patios, as mosquitoes are weak fliers.
* Consider planting them as a complement to other measures like screens or occasional use of topical repellent for high-risk times (dusk and dawn).

Conclusion

Creating a mosquito-resistant small yard is an opportunity to enhance your space with beautiful, fragrant, and useful plants. By choosing the right varieties and employing clever container gardening techniques, you can cultivate an oasis that naturally discourages pests. This approach not only adds greenery and life to your compact outdoor area but also provides a peaceful, chemical-free environment to relax and enjoy the outdoors all season long.

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Seven Easy Ways to Landscape Garden the Patio

April 02, 2024   Matt

Seven Easy Ways to Landscape Garden the Patio

Patios serve as extensions of the living rooms inside the house. They serve as mirrors and reflect how the inside of the house. It is important that the patio be decorated and presentable to those that who see it. Landscaping the patio is one way to make it attractive in the eyes of those who look at it.

Here are some tips on how to landscape the patio the easy way:

1. An outdoor chime may be placed to add a light mood in the patio. Wind chimes and musical chimes are perfect for outdoor use. Hearing pleasing sounds in the patio can add drama to the landscape.

2. Patio heaters may be used to provide warmth in colder weather. This will allow more time to spend in the patio rather than staying inside the house in cooler weather.

3. Benches that are intended for outdoor use may also be placed on the patio. The benches will serve as decorations and they can be used to entertain visitors. Guests will have a place where to sit and enjoy the view of the patio.

4. Hammocks can also be used to decorate the patio. Hammocks provide a relaxed atmosphere and they serve as additional design to the landscape garden. There are portable hammocks that are sold on the market. They are easy to assemble even without the use of tools. If the budget is limited, hammocks may also be improvised.

5. Planters should never be missed in landscaping the patio. Patios always come with planters. They can be used to plant flowers and add beauty to the landscaped area.

6. Hanging flower pots may also add drama to the patio. There are hanging flowerpots that are made of plastic or mosses that are placed in a frame made of steel wires. The choice will depend on the taste of the person decorating the patio. There is also a wide variety of hanging flower plants to choose from. They are of various colors and sizes that will satisfy the different tastes of gardeners.

7. Decorator outdoor lights are also used to landscape a patio. They add a lively effect especially at night. Lights will allow the people living in the home to enjoy the patio during the evening.

Landscaping a patio is not that hard ass long as there is creativity. Even cheap accessories will add grandeur to the patio. A patio that is lovely and welcoming will reflect how the persons inside are living

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Landscaping Around a Patio

February 17, 2024   Matt

Landscaping Around a Patio

If you want your garden to look good, you have to do a little landscaping. The same goes when you landscape around a patio so there is always something new to show to your guests.

The materials that you will use for your patio will include both soft and hard materials. The soft ones are namely the plants, the shrubs and the trees. They can be placed on the exterior perimeter of the patio while you use hard materials such as brick, concrete, rock, stone and tiles inside.

So you have an idea what plants to buy later on, it is best to check the condition of the soil since this will determine what type of flowers will survive these conditions.

A general rule when landscaping around a patio is that you have to work on the inside first then work outwards.

When choosing an area for the patio, make sure that this will be done on a flat area of land. Once you have found it, you must first build forms to be able to add height to the patio perimeter. This is important to achieve the foundational support you will need later on. This should be done evenly up to your doorway.

To prevent any incidents of tripping, you should smoothen the edges and make sure that there are no nails sticking out from the sides of the patio.

Once the forms have been completed for the patio, this is the time that you can add curves by using a bender board made from plastic so it can be moved very easily. To keep these in place, you will have to add stakes every 12 to 18 inches.

When it is ready, this is time that you put the stones in. These should be placed one by one so everything will fit nicely into place.

Since the patio is now ready, those of you who want to make it look colorful should add flowers and shrubs along the walkway. You can use one color or mix this with several. The important thing is that it looks good.

Those who don’t want to plant flowers around the patio can still add color by using potted plants. You can buy these pots in different colors and designs from the store. The advantage of using this is that you can move them to different locations and during the winter, they can be placed indoors then brought out again during the spring.

Either way, you can choose plants that bloom during different times of the year so there is always something that stands out all season long. Don’t forget to consider the amount of sun that is required for each of them.

You should also get plants of different heights so there is a smooth transition from the patio all the way up to the house. If there are budget constraints, get the smaller ones since these are cheaper. It will just some time before they mature unlike the older plants that are almost ready to bloom.

Landscaping around the patio is no different than fixing one section of the house. Once you have a plan, it will be very easy to implement. If you are not happy, don’t be afraid to make some changes so it will look better than it did before.

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In landscaping your home, you can have a small patio fitted into the front of the house where it will make for the perfect place to relax with a cup of chilled ice tea on a hot sunny day

July 22, 2022   Matt

In landscaping your home, you can have a small patio fitted into the front of the house where it will make for the perfect place to relax with a cup of chilled ice tea on a hot sunny day

Even if you hire a professional to do your landscape project for you, bear in mind that maintenance must be a responsibility you should accept and to that effect, landscaping tools such as rakes, snipers, and water pots should be in your tool shed.|The mental picture of how you want your landscape to look like can be further enhanced by the study of landscape design picture ideas available both online and in the library around your vicinity.

Only a very good landscape contractor can take the picture of the landscape you have envisioned in your head and reproduce it in reality for you; ensure therefore, that you select only the best of landscape contractors.|Taking down notes about landscaping ideas that you like and those that you don’t can help you define your goals and arrive at a specific landscape plan that expresses your desires.|Remember that landscape contractors vary in factors such as their style of landscaping, the size, the designs and other factors; make sure you find one whose style of landscape design dovetails neatly with yours.

People who are lovers of bird and butterflies can use their landscape plan as an avenue to attract them close by including flower varieties that they are partial too.|Landscaping as a whole is not a monumental task as long as you know what you want to achieve and how you are going to achieve it; you may decide to be your own landscaper or hire a professional for a more refined touch.

Having children who love to explore may prompt you to landscape your home by putting a stone wall in your backyard or fencing your entire home with an attractive stone wall. |If you are thinking of doing your landscape by yourself, be sure that you have the right landscaping tools that will make your job easier; those that are too pricey can be rented for a period of time.|You can make sure that your plants are well taken care of by installing automatic sprinklers which water the plants at the time you set it to.

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Exterior Furnishings And Gliders- A Remarkable Enhancement To Any Veranda Or Patio

September 13, 2018   Matt

Outside Furnishings As Well As Gliders- An Awesome Enhancement To Any Porch Or Outdoor patio

One of the most important member in the family members of outdoor furniture and also gliders is none besides Adirondack chair. If you have an interest in buying or developing an Adirondack chair, the very first point you should determine on is the wood liked for this task. The very best choice for you is teak timber because it is the finest high quality timber to make use of for the Adirondack chair and it will certainly put on extremely well. Teak timber is highly resistible to sunlight, rainfall, frost or snow. As a result, you can keep an Adirondack chair outside your residence all year long with no worry. Although your Adirondack furniture could obtain dirty, as will other furniture, you will get the advantages of resilience as well as long-lasting reliability.

Just How to Acquire Outdoor Furnishings and Glider

You need to bear in mind the following ideas while buying Adirondack Chair:

1. To start with, you ought to choose the place within the yard or patio, where you wish to place your outdoor furnishings and glider. The important factor here is that there need to appertain space for an Adirondack chair, tables, baskets and any accessories.

2. You can buy wonderful gliders that suit your design as well as spending plan from garden facilities and home shops. Often times you could additionally acquire a Adirondack furnishings established making up of chairs and a table and also save some loan.

3. Regarding colored gliders are concerned, you could select a painted steel surface area to match your yard.

4. While purchasing outdoor furnishings, you should take a look at meticulously the pieces for snugly woven canning. Canning without any voids is thought about better. The leg bottoms of Adirondack chairs must likewise be examined to make certain that there is no breaking or splitting that would certainly be abnormal to that specific timber.

5. One more vital tip to keep in mind when acquiring exterior furniture such as Adirondack chairs or tables is their comfortability. You have to examine whether it gives appropriate leisure to your body or not. If you feel comfortable while resting in Adirondack chair, then it is worth acquiring.

6. There are a wide array of gliders. The majority of gliders are available with the choice to seat two or three people. You need to analyze your requirements and also comfort level for both to establish which acquisition is the most effective for you.

7. From the factor of sight of shipment of gliders, it will certainly be far better if few parts of Adirondack chairs are constructed together as that will make the job much easier and also make them much more steady. Nonetheless, in instance of outdoor furniture, the setting up will be hard if items are already constructed

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Discount rate teak wood patio furnishings– an Actual Special Bargain

August 24, 2018   Matt

Discount rate teak wood patio area furnishings– a Genuine Unique Bargain

Teak wood furniture initially showed up in England about a century back when the English took teak from shipwrecked watercrafts and also turned them into furnishings. Teak wood, being a product utilized for shipbuilding, is incredibly long lasting. Its natural oil additionally provides it various other hardwearing qualities. Teak timber furniture is a preferred product for outdoor furniture such as outdoor patio furnishings and yard furniture.

Locating discount teak patio furniture is like finding a prize. Teak furniture is unbelievably immune to the damaging effects of sun direct exposure, rainfall or snow. It could endure severe temperatures and harsh environments and, furthermore, has great resistance to degeneration, deteriorating, as well as breaking consisting of damage triggered by bugs such as termite.

Price cut teak outdoor patio furnishings calls for hardly any maintenance. They are excellent if you mean to leave your patio area furnishings outdoors. They do not need any special surface, treatment or covering to maintain their long lasting condition. They will not lose their form or warp regardless of years of use.

Teak patio furniture has tidy and basic styles offering your patio an innovative look that will remain in style from years to years. Manufacturing teak timber patio furnishings can be either manually or with mechanical tools. You can decide to buy completely constructed pieces or choose furnishings sets that require assembly. You could most likely to furnishings stores in your location to examine for unique sales or you use the Web to find your dream teak wood furniture at the finest cost.

Searching for discount teak patio area furnishings is much easier and easier if you do it online. By doing this, you can quickly find which online stores supply discounted prices for their teak wood furnishings. You will certainly find fantastic bargains not just for private teak wood pieces such as tables, benches and lounges but also for entire dining collections and also discussion sets.

Nevertheless, before you purchase see to it the price cut teak patio area furnishings you are getting did not come from illegally gathered teak timber however rather came from lasting teak tree ranches. The harvesting of teak timber and manufacturing of teak wood furniture has stringent regulations to shield already endangered teak wood woodlands.

Teak wood has actually yellow-brown to deep brown color that provides price cut teak wood outdoor patio furnishings a rich elegant appearance. Furthermore, age does not use their appearances down. Overtime, teak timber furniture transforms its shade to a stunning soft silver grey, which gives them a lot more personality. Must you like their original shade to their weathered look, merely apply teak oil or cleaner to your teak furnishings. With discount rate teak wood patio furniture, not just do you conserve money however likewise you obtain durable and beautiful furniture piece that will last for many years.

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