A Mild Winter Means Peskier Summer Insects

In case you missed #Gardenchat last night- here are some of the tips suggested by The Growers Exchange to help ward off pesky insects like ticks, mosquitoes, ants and termites... naturally!

Catnip 

Usually grown by cat lovers, catnip is proven to be ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes and biting insects than the harsh commercial chemical DEET.

According to the American Chemical Society, the active chemical in catnip, nepetalactone, that drives cats crazy also repels mosquitoes. Plant regular catnip or lemon-scented catnip in full sun and keep it well pruned. Rub the leaves on clothing and skin as a protectant from biting insects. Basil Basil also keeps mosquitoes away, as well as repelling house flies, especially when planted near doorways. Whether in containers or mixed into flower beds, basil adds texture, beauty, fragrance, and most importantly a "no fly zone" to homes. Mint Both peppermint and spearmint are excellent deterrents to ants, flies and moths, but they can also keep lice and mice at bay as well. Planting either variety of mint around the foundation of a house makes a natural boundary that many pests won't go near. Use it near windowsills or beneath sinks, to keep sneaky insects from coming in to visit.
About The Growers Exchange	Planting natural herbal defenses against pests eliminates the use of harmful toxins, improves the local ecology in gardens, and provides benefits of many plants that double as culinary, medicinal or aromatic herbs. Make sure to choose the safe, sustainable insect repellents this summer and think of the garden before reaching for the toxic spray!

-Katie
Garden Media Group

Tune in to #GardenChat tonight at 9pm EST

If you haven't tweeted with #GardenChat yet, you don't know what you're missing.

But, if you tuned in last Monday for the garden trends discussion, THANK YOU!  It was so much fun to hear what you thought of our trends and hear many new ideas!!

Tonight's topic is BioChar Soil Reef (TM)!

Do you what biohar is?
Do you know how biochar is created?
Do you know how long biochar lasts?
Do you know how biochar can add to a sustainable future for our planet?

Come learn, grow and tweet with us tonight at 9pm EST to find out the above answers and much, much more!

How #gardenchat Connects: A topic is picked and a guest host specializing in that topic is usually present to help answer  questions and add to the conversation. Questions are submitted in advance. Everyone attending the chat is encouraged to share their experience and answer questions as well.  A transcript is saved after each Monday event that can be downloaded from the transcript page.

#GardenChat with us

(Re) Introducing #GardenChat! A Twitter based chat forum where garden enthusiasts from all walks of life connect and interact sharing ideas and asking questions about their experience in the world of gardening.  


And, we want YOU to chat with US tonight!  Join us at 9pm, EST on Twitter, as we discuss our forecast for garden trends in 2012.  This years theme: ‘Cultivate the new good life with the power of plants!’ 

Are you seeing orange as Pantone predicted?  What about miniature gardening?  Come prepared to discuss what you think will be the big trends in 2012 and lend an ear to our ideas.  

Stump Stacey, Martha Stewart Living garden editor, on #GardenChat tonight

When I first started working in the lawn and garden industry, one of the overriding characteristics of the gardening world were the number of ladies and gentlemen who work in it. Nice people and gardening seem to just go hand-in-hand.

And tonight, you get to chat live on #GardenChat on twitter with one of the nicest and most knowledgeable people in the business, Stacey Hirvela, senior associate garden editor at Martha Stewart Living and host of At Home in the Garden on MarthaStewart.com. The two met at the Costa Farms Social Summit a few weeks ago. (Stacey is pictured with our GMG Stacey here.)

And Stacey will be giving away my favorite soil -- Organic Mechanics. It's the caviar of soilless mixes.

Stacey's love of plants began with her grandmother, who always let her pick as many lilies of the valley as she wanted. In 1999 she attend the School of Professional Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden.

After working as a rooftop gardener in Manhattan, she served as the horticulturist at Tavern on the Green restaurant for three years - only the second woman ever to hold the position. WOW!

Then Stacey found her home. In 2005 she joined the Martha Stewart Living staff and now works with out good friend Tony Bielaczyc planning the garden content for the magazine. And we think she does a great job sharing her knowledge and stories from the garden.

So be sure to tune in to#GardenChat on Twitter.com tonight and ask Stacey some really tough questions. I bet you won't stump her though.

Suzi, Garden Media Group