What is the best landscaping for around the house to keep insects out

Rubber mulch works good.

Bugs are a fact of life, no escaping them. Just check your screens each spring so they have no entry into your home. Then plant whatever you like will grow well in your climate and location. I plant lots of parsley, onions and marigolds - seems to help. At least a bit.

Keeping insects out of the house has nothing to do with plants. You have to spray your perimeter with a insect control;.Make sure there are no holes in screens.Apply food grade diatomaceous earth if there are children and or pets.

You could start with lemon grass and chives. Calendula attracts aphids and traps them which invites lady bugs to dinner.

There is a citronella geranium out there that does help with mosquitoes if placed in the right areas. I put in big pots out on patio, one by the barbeque and one on an end table by lawn furniture. They get big and bushy. Here in MN they are an annual. Also strategically placed bug zappers do help with the flying biters too.

lemongrass is a safe plant to use for all areas. It's oil is used in citronella insect repellants and the grass itself is used in cooking all kinds of foods. Some of it grown very tall and other varieties grow to about 4 feet. Consult a landscape nursery or the internet for more information on where to buy it and which variety grows in your area.