Everyone knows about using willow to root cuttings, cinnamon and chamomile to prevent damp off but what other herbs do you use in the garden and what do you use them for?

I try to grow pyrethrum plants to deter lily beetle and the bug that attacks delphiniums.
So far I do not have a good stand of the pyrethrum plants.

I grow both onion and garlic chives and use them as a repellent for many unwanted chewing insects.
Drop a handful of fresh leaves into the blender with 2 cups water and puree let stand an hour, strain through cheese cloth and use as a spray . I add a little honey to make it stick when spraying fresh peaches to deter the horrid Japanese beetle.


I also grow comfrey the large leaves are used as a mulch to smother newly sprouting weeds, and in compost tea as a fertilizer.

Tansy planted near my bench to keep away mosquitoes. I also tuck some in the pockets of my jeans or in the brim of my hat while working.

Cinda do you make a tea of the comfrey and use it full strength or do you dilute it?

Cinda--I love that tip about the onion/chive mixture to repel insects. I'll need to try that this year.

This is more of a companion-planting thing, but I always plant borage near my tomatoes--said to attract pollinators.

Here are some more plants to consider using in your garden to repel insects and bugs.
Basil repels mosquitos and horse flies
Lavender repels mosquitos, moths, flies and fleas
Lemon grass repels mosquitos
Lemon Thyme reels mosquitos,
Mint repels mosquitos
Rosemary repels mosquitos, and vegetables pests
Bay leaves repel flies
Chives repel carrot flies
Lemon balm repels mosquitos
Dill repels aphids, squash bugs, spider mites, cabbage loopers and tomato hornworms
Fennel repels aphids, slugs and snails
Parsley repels asparagus beetles
Marigolds repels aphids, mosquitos and rabbits
Nastrtium repels white flies, squash bugs, aphids, beetles and cabbage loopers
Petunias repels aphids,tomato hornworms, asparagus beetles, leaf hoppers and squash bugs
Common lantana repels mosquitos,
geranium repels leaf hoppers

What a nice list, @Mindy03. Thanks for compiling that--it will be very helpful. Several of these are new to me

I've found that Borage is great to repel hornworms from tomatoes. I have one plot up by the chimney from the old house that always used to get lots of hornworms, to the point where they'd eat most of the entire tomato plants. I actually quit planting tomatoes up that way for a few years. I get a few hornworm problems in the garden bed down by the driveway, as well.
Last year, I mentioned this to one of the "old timers" selling some interesting heirloom tomato plants at the local farmers' market. He recommended borage as a border and companion to repel or even kill off the hornworms. I tried this last year with some of my "extra/leftover" tomato starts. I got a couple packets of borage seeds, and planted about every 1.5 to 2 feet around the border, and mixed a few in with the tomatoes. This was up where I stopped growing tomatoes because of the hornworms wiping them out. I didn't have a single hornworm all last summer in those tomatoes. I'm not sure if borage repels the hornworms, or one "old timer" told me that the hornworms eat the borage and it kills them. Whatever the mechanism, borage + tomato plants works well to repel/kill off the hornworms.

Also, a word about nasturtiums and aphids. Nasturtiums don't repel aphids, they attract aphids. Not to the level where they attract aphids to your garden where you didn't have them before. Just attractive enough that if you have aphids in your garden, plant some 'sacrificial' nasturtiums, and all the aphids will go to the nasturtiums and leave your other plants alone.

Mindy03 said:Cinda do you make a tea of the comfrey and use it full strength or do you dilute it?

I guess the answer to that question depends how long I have let it set and if it has rained or not . When I make it I make it in a wheelbarrow and it sets for a week normally I just water the plants but if the water/ tea looks too strong or I just need to stretch it a bit I will water the tea down.
I do not think you can get it too strong, or at least not enough to do any harm.


sorry for the late reply
With spring cleaning and wintersowing not much computer time
Must get the cleaning done so I can go out and play in the garden as soon as things warm up

Thanks Cinda I think I will try that this year.
That is OK on the slow reply I've been doing the same things for the same reason. L

It is getting time for the bugs that like to snack on us humans to start showing up.
What are you using to keep them from snacking on you?
My list includes
Lemon balm
Mints
Cinnamon
Lavender
Rosemary
Generally any strong smelling herb will work to repel bugs. You just have to be sure to apply them on every exposed area of skin.

A bonus of using herbs to repel those snackers is that you also benefit from them in other ways.

I've had insect repellents with Lemongrass, as well.

Comfrey is a mineral accumulator in the garden.
Does anyone have, or know anything about the variegated cultivars?

HI everyone I hope your herbs are thriving after the long winter.
I came across some information about compost boosters which are supposed to speed up the process. Some of those plants listed are herbs so I thought I would share them with you.
Alpine strawberry
Alfalfa
Black Elderberry
Calendula
Chamomile
Comfrey
Dandelion
Hollyhock
Oak Bark
Sage
Stinging Nettle
Valerian
Yellow Dock

The instructions say to dry the plants and powder them. Then as you build your compost pile sprinkle it between each layer. If you want to use it on an existing pail you add 1/4 to 1 cup of the booster to the center of your pile and mix it in.
It also says you can add these plants fresh to your pile if you don't want to dry and powder them.

Thank you

Interesting info
would you make a mix of any of the listed?


And
Mindy , how is your garden growing ?

You can use each plant on its own or you can mix them together .
I think on the elderberry it is the leaves you use not the berries.
Another herb used to speed up composting is Borage.

My herbs are growing great at the moment in spite of all of our plant winters. We are currently having blackberry winter and tomorrow morning is supposed to be down in the mid 30's with possible snow showers during the day.

My flower garden is doing good but still needs some spring cleanup. I'm slow doing cleanup because I am training my dog Tessa to guide me around the yard and there has been a bit more traffics than usual and she will not move from her tracks as long as a vehicle is in sight.

Discovered that the honey bees are getting something from the lemon balm leaves. Possibly the lemon oil that makes it smell so good. My husband asked me what they were getting last week. I was confused because I knew they work the flowers but they aren't blooming