Repellent plants: which ones to sow to keep mosquitoes and aphids away?

🌿 The garden, an ecosystem to balance

In permaculture, the goal is not to eliminate "pests" at all costs, but to promote a natural balance. Some plants play a valuable role in protecting crops by repelling unwanted insects or diverting them. Thanks to their scents, volatile substances, or attractive power, they become true allies, as useful as they are aesthetic.

Here is a selection of repellent plants that you can easily sow at home, all available in our shop, along with advice on how to integrate them well into your garden or balcony.

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🐜 1. Against aphids

🌸 Dwarf nasturtium

• Effect: attracts aphids which thus leave your tomatoes or zucchinis alone. This is called a "trap plant."

• Where to sow it: on the edge of the vegetable garden, at the foot of tomatoes or in the middle of squashes. It is also edible and very decorative.

🌼 Marigold

• Effect: repels aphids, whiteflies, and nematodes thanks to its roots and scent.

• Ideal association: tomatoes, lettuces, eggplants, potatoes.

• Asset: attracts pollinators while protecting the soil.

🌿 Pennyroyal mint

• Effect: its scent repels aphids and ants.

• Cultivation: preferably in a pot, as it spreads and can become invasive.

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🦟 2. Against mosquitoes

🌿 Lemon basil

• Effect: the lemony scent of its leaves keeps mosquitoes away.

• Where to place it: planter, windowsill, outdoor dining area.

🌿 Lavender

• Effect: very effective against mosquitoes, it also perfumes the air.

• Advice: sow in spring, sunny exposure, and well-drained soil.

🌼 Calendula

• Effect: in addition to its antifungal properties, it is slightly repellent to certain insects.

• Bonus: attracts hoverflies, formidable predators of aphids.

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🧑🌾 3. Winning associations in the vegetable garden

Integrating repellent plants into your crops allows you to naturally reduce insect attacks:

• Tomato + lemon basil + marigold: stimulates growth, repels pests, and attracts pollinators.

• Zucchini + nasturtium: beautiful decorative synergy, while distracting aphids.

• Bean + lavender + calendula: rustic, useful, and colorful trio.

💡 Tip: sow your flowers staggered between vegetable rows for better protection.

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🌱 4. Sowing and maintenance

📅 When to sow?

• Nasturtium, marigold, calendula: from April outdoors or under cover from March.

• Basil, lavender: from March in warm pots, or outdoors from May.

• Mint and lavender: direct sowing possible, but better success in pots.

🌿 Maintenance advice

• Pinch off faded flowers to prolong blooming.

• Water moderately to avoid fungal diseases.

• Grow some species in pots to move them as needed (lavender, basil, mint).

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⚠️ 5. Diversion ≠ failure

Warning: repellent plants do not all have the same effect, and their effectiveness depends on the context. For example, nasturtium attracts aphids... but this is not a flaw, it is a diversion strategy that protects your tomatoes!

The ideal is to combine these plants with flowering hedges, companion plants (such as borage or dill), and to vary species to maximize biodiversity and garden balance.

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🌸 Conclusion

Sowing repellent plants means gardening with intelligence and respect for nature. These plants decorate, protect, perfume... and allow you to reduce or completely avoid insecticides. It’s good for you, for your crops, and for the planet.