How to Make a Mosquito Repellent Patio Planter

For those of you who have been following along with our French Country Cottage fixer-upper on my Instagram stories, then you have seen that we are finally in the process of working on the outdoor living area in the back including the addition of a paver patio on the side of our deck and garden boxes with a fire pit in the back.

Finally excavating for the patio!

We moved all the dirt to these garden beds which will get filled with more soil and hopefully I can get some plants in them before it’s too late!!

These patio pavers. Oh my. They have nearly killed me. Forget the coronavirus. Death by patio pavers. The story is that as per my usual I found this 12x12ft paver set randomly on Facebook Marketplace for $100. They were stacked on pallets in some dude’s backyard in the woods, covered with leaves, dirt, ice and snow.

Zach and I hand carried each of them to a truck and then promptly solicited the help of Zach’s cousins (thanks Ty and Cam!) to help us move the rest. These were then moved to the side of our house. Which were then moved again to the deck while I painstakingly tried to figure out the pattern.

This was my happy face a couple days ago when I finally got to lay them down for the LAST TIME!!

Anyway, if you have followed our adventures from our first two fixer uppers (checkout the Colonial Foreclosure here, and the Vintage Victorian here!), then you know we love outdoor living. As soon as it gets even a little bit warm our family is outside.

We have picnics, BBQs, and lots of time around the fire.

What we don’t love, however, is mosquitoes.

So I decided to make patio planters out of a couple common plants that are known to be mosquito repellent and strategically place them throughout our new patio!

How to Make a Mosquito Repellent Patio Planter

The Plants

The two plants you will need to create your mosquito repellent planter?

Lavender and mint!

Looks gorgeous. Smells fabulous. Repels mosquitoes.

There is absolutely no downside to this combo.

How to Make a Mosquito Repellent Patio Planter

Lavendar

Lavender speaks to my French Country loving heart for so many reasons, but perhaps no reason more than the fact that they repel my least favorite insect on the planet.

If you click on this link, then you can read the research behind lavender as a mosquito repellent and you will find that it’s most effective form is the essential oil. However according to the website

“While scientific studies have not yet covered this domain, there is anecdotal evidence to show that even the presence of lavender plants can produce enough ambient linalool to keep small swarms of mosquitoes away.”

How to Make a Mosquito Repellent Patio Planter

Mint

According to the same website

“At a base level, mint plants (in both their natural and essential oil form) have been found to act as an effective deterrent against common pests such as wasps, hornets, ants, and cockroaches. . . While current scientific research shows moderate results for its effectiveness on mosquitos, mint may be worth trying if your mosquito infestation has not responded to other natural solutions.”

How to Make a Mosquito Repellent Patio Planter

What You Need

• One pot
• Potting soil
• 1 lavender plant
• 2 mint plants (peppermint preferred)

How to Make a Mosquito Repellent Patio Planter

#1. Fill 1/2 the planter with potting soil.

How to Make a Mosquito Repellent Patio Planter

#2. Place the lavender plant in the pot toward the back. Fill in half way with soil to stabilize.

The soil helps keep the lavender in place while still leaving room in the front for the mint.

How to Make a Mosquito Repellent Patio Planter

#3. Add 2 mint plants to the front.

#4. Fill to the top with soil.

How to Make a Mosquito Repellent Patio Planter

After

So so pretty!

I wish our patio was done, so I could show you a beautiful outdoor living space with solar-powered lighting, a fire pit with a wall of lavender and mint planter boxes, my garden bursting with veggies, and a fabulous 12×12 ft paver patio with super pretty potted flowers bursting with color . . . BUT (insert a deep sigh here) . . . real life takes time. Stay tuned friends!!