B&Q launches £14 flower which stops cats from pooing in your garden
There are some easy and non-harmful ways to keep cats out of your garden if you notice your lawn is being used as a cat litter tray - and it means you won't be breaking the law either
While cats are free to roam the streets and gardens it can be seriously frustrating when they decide to use your garden as a toilet. Cats typically don't tend to go in their own gardens, so instead will venture into the surrounding areas, and if you find yours is a target, there are two certain plants you can grow to ward them off.
This cruelty-free trick will make sure cats steer clear of your garden and protect your plants and soil from being a litter tray. By planting a lemon balm or a lemon thyme bush, it will ensure the felines stay away thanks to the fragranced leaves.
A lemon balm plant is an easy bushy perennial herb to grow as it can thrive in different conditions. It also has antiviral and antibacterial properties and the leaves release a strong lemon fragrance when they are bruised. Lemon balm's prefer sun or partial shade with well-drained and moist soil.
If planted correctly, the lemon balm plant can grow rapidly, and is ideal for filling up a blank area of the garden. It's a perennial which means it will grow back every year with its impressive lemon-scented leaves, and also produces creamy-white or pale purple flowers in summer which honey bees love too.
Not only will it keep cats away thanks to it's citrus scent and texture, the leaves can also be used in cooking to give a zesty taste to all kinds of salads, homemade sauces and fish dishes. It can also make a refreshing herbal tea or great in a jug of Pimms. The leaves can also act as a mosquito repellent if rubbed onto the skin.
The plants can be placed in pots around the garden, or specifically in areas where cats target and you can buy it from B&Q in a 9cm pot for £13.99.
Alternatively, Lemon thyme is a hardy plant that can also thrive in various conditions making it a reliable and safe plant for keen gardeners that will last for years. It produces small tubular pink or lilac flowers in early to mid-summer and is a plant that attracts bees and butterflies, but because of it's citrus scent, cats stay away from it.
According to the RSPCA, cats are protected by law and are free to roam, which may result in wandering into other peoples gardens or allotments, but people can only deter them in non-harmful ways which won't cause pain or distress.
Homeowners are warned that causing unnecessary suffering to a cat is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (AWA). It may also be an offence to put down snares, poison or an unlicensed deterrent.
Other fragrant plants to deter cats
Lavender
Rosemary
Rue
Catnip
Pennyroyal
Oregano
Curry plant
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Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
B&Q launches £14 flower which stops cats from pooing in your garden
There are some easy and non-harmful ways to keep cats out of your garden if you notice your lawn is being used as a cat litter tray - and it means you won't be breaking the law either While cats are free to roam the streets and gardens it can be seriously frustrating when they decide to use your garden as a toilet. Cats typically don't tend to go in their own gardens, so instead will venture into the surrounding areas, and if you find yours is a target, there are two certain plants you can grow to ward them off. This cruelty-free trick will make sure cats steer clear of your garden and protect your plants and soil from being a litter tray. By planting a lemon balm or a lemon thyme bush, it will ensure the felines stay away thanks to the fragranced leaves. A lemon balm plant is an easy bushy perennial herb to grow as it can thrive in different conditions. It also has antiviral and antibacterial properties and the leaves release a strong lemon fragrance when they are bruised. Lemon balm's prefer sun or partial shade with well-drained and moist soil. If planted correctly, the lemon balm plant can grow rapidly, and is ideal for filling up a blank area of the garden. It's a perennial which means it will grow back every year with its impressive lemon-scented leaves, and also produces creamy-white or pale purple flowers in summer which honey bees love too. Not only will it keep cats away thanks to it's citrus scent and texture, the leaves can also be used in cooking to give a zesty taste to all kinds of salads, homemade sauces and fish dishes. It can also make a refreshing herbal tea or great in a jug of Pimms. The leaves can also act as a mosquito repellent if rubbed onto the skin. The plants can be placed in pots around the garden, or specifically in areas where cats target and you can buy it from B&Q in a 9cm pot for £13.99. Alternatively, Lemon thyme is a hardy plant that can also thrive in various conditions making it a reliable and safe plant for keen gardeners that will last for years. It produces small tubular pink or lilac flowers in early to mid-summer and is a plant that attracts bees and butterflies, but because of it's citrus scent, cats stay away from it. According to the RSPCA, cats are protected by law and are free to roam, which may result in wandering into other peoples gardens or allotments, but people can only deter them in non-harmful ways which won't cause pain or distress. Homeowners are warned that causing unnecessary suffering to a cat is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (AWA). It may also be an offence to put down snares, poison or an unlicensed deterrent. Other fragrant plants to deter cats Lavender Rosemary Rue Catnip Pennyroyal Oregano Curry plant
BBC News
17 hours ago
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Warwickshire Lavender Farm opens with flowers in full bloom
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The Guardian
a day ago
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10 of the best climbing plants for your garden, from honeysuckle to sweet pea
Within a week of moving house, three years ago, I was dreaming of climbing plants: anything that could clothe the uninspiring domesticity of my new garden's bare fences. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Three summers on, I have a good sense of which climbers thrust ahead and which take their time to get established; which spread thinly or densely; which annuals offer up a temporary, seasonal backdrop; which climb perfectly well unaided; and which benefit from a supportive frame. Here are 10 climbers I've enjoyed growing, and how to nurture them. Often slower-growing yet enduringly structural, woody climbers produce hardened stems that lignify in place. They include plants such as ceanothus, trumpet vine, wisteria, akebia and rose, many of which require the sturdy support of wire or trellis. Undoubtedly, woody plants demand more patience, but they can prove low-maintenance in the long term, and are easy to train and shape. From £7.99 at J Parker's£11.69 at B&Q A house-warming gift, one of the first climbers added to my garden was the cream yellow-flowered honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum Graham Thomas. A woodlander at home in low light, it was planted in the north-facing shade of our house, where its dark, glaucous-leaved stems clamber over horizontal wires, producing phenomenal, night-scented midsummer blooms visited by moths. £9.99 at Jacksons NurseriesFrom £11.24 at Crocus This one will take time to get going, but few climbing plants are as rewarding as Hydrangea petiolaris. Endlessly elegant with clusters of refined white, the deciduous petiolaris uses aerial roots to attach itself to surfaces, though wires can offer a leg up while it establishes itself. Growing happily in semi-shade, and relatively unfussy of soil preference, the only difficulty with this heavily set hydrangea is keeping it from bushing out from the wall or fence. To avoid this, prune outwardly extended stems back by a few buds right after summer flowering. The Pilgrim £33 at Burford Madame Alfred Carrière £21.59 at Carbeth plants£23.38 at B&Q Unlike the often untamable 'rambling' rose, climbers can be heavily micromanaged – so you can tie them into artful loops or swirls, which can become obsessive, trust me. The temptation with roses might be to direct the stems upwards for quicker results, but the key for maximum surface coverage is to get strong, long stems tied down horizontally, incrementally in succession up a wall or fence: horizontals promote more flowers and further vertical growth, which will add density at a surprising pace. 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Often seen scrambling lamp-posts as it does woodland trees in its native Appalachia, this is one to keep in check, if necessary, by cutting back to a couple of feet each spring, once established. I got mine going on wires initially, however, it will self-adhere without fuss. Before shedding, its leaves blaze ochre through red across autumn. Sign up to The Filter Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. after newsletter promotion Clematis tangutica From £7.99 at J Parker's£24.95 at Waitrose Garden Clematis Perle d'Azur £24.99 at Coolings Clematis are categorised into three key groups – those that flower in spring and in summer on the previous year's stems, and those that do all the work via the current season's growth. 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Although typically grown on 'teepees' or canes, by threading twigs (such as hazel or birch) through fence wires, they'll have lots to cling to, encouraging quick growth. 99p for 20 seeds at Thompson & MorganFrom £3.29 for 20 seeds at Crocus I'll never tire of growing sweet peas – their fragrance is alluring and their range considerable, from showy mauves and maroons to subtle whites and greens. Easily germinated on a windowsill indoors, they can be planted out in spring sunshine and, owing to grappling tendrils, scale a fence by midsummer. Among the copious options, I particularly like growing the profuse cultivars Cedric Morris (plum-purple) and Painted Lady (pink-white). From £3.69 for 15 seeds at Crocus£3.79 for 15 seeds at Waitrose Garden Commonly known as the cup-and-saucer vine and hailing from Mexico, where its large bell-shaped flowers in purple and cream are pollinated by bats, cobaea is a stunning single-season addition. 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