In the garden with Lorraine Clarke

catnip-nepeta-cataria

DECEMBER 2016 | Lorraine Clarke

THE BALMY outdoor days of summer can be spoiled by annoying mosquitoes and biting flies.

Slathering toxic chemicals over every exposed limb is not a desirable option. Fortunately, there is a safe natural herbal solution that everyone can grow for themselves.

The chemical which cats find so irresistible in catnip, nepetalactone, is also a powerful insect repellent, although bees adore catnip flowers.

A few fresh leaves crushed and rubbed over the skin, repels those tormenting critters more effectively than anything in a can. This has been proven in the lab as well as by practical application.  Catnip oil has been used to protect cattle and horses from biting flies.

Catnip planted in the vegetable garden also helps to repel insect pests from crops.

It is a perennial which regrows every spring into a bushy, upright, grey-green plant covered by tiny scented white or lavender flowers for several months, producing lots of nectar.

Catnip reseeds itself easily, to delight cats, bees and gardeners alike.

Photo | Image supplied