I love this time of year! We just planted a new garden at our home and are enjoying our outdoor living space. This year, I have been incorporating essential oils into my gardens and gardening routines. Essential oils are a great way to deter pests from your gardens in a more natural way; avoiding the use of unsafe chemicals. Essential oils can also be used instead of companion plants. For example, basil plant is a great companion for tomatoes. You can use basil essential oil in your watering can to give the plants a boost of basil that will be absorbed through the root system. You can also make a spray bottle with water and basil oil to spray the foliage.

Quick Essential Oil Gardening Tips:

• Use basil essential oil to help your tomatoes grow. Basil is a known companion plant for tomatoes. Add 10 drops of basil essential oil to a 32 oz spray bottle and fill with water. Spray your tomato plants to help them grow.

• Attract pollinators naturally. Put 10 drops of wild orange or lavender in an 8 oz spray bottle with water to spray over your garden to attract bees and pollinators naturally. Spray on flowers and buds. Spray, fill and repeat frequently.

• DIY Fungus Suppressant for the garden. Mix 20 drops of Melaleuca (Tea Tree) in a 32 oz spray bottle with water. Spray directly onto infected plants once or twice per day.

• Soothe bites and stings from insects.  Lavender is great to soothe mosquito and insect bites. Apply lavender essential oil directly to the bite or sting to soothe the itch and provide a comforting sensation.

• Protect your garden from pests like ticks, spiders, and ants. Mix 15-20 drops of peppermint oils in a 16 oz spray bottle and fill with water. Spray on the plants in your garden covering the stems and undersides of the leaves as well. Shake before each use.

• Make a DIY garden tool cleaner. Mix 10 drops of Melaleuca (Tea Tree) in a 32 oz spray bottle with water. Spray on tools and wipe clean without any added toxins or chemicals.

• Protect yourself from ants, spiders, and ticks. Combine peppermint and geranium oil with fractionated coconut oil and apply this directly to your skin before going out to work on your gardens. This can help repel ants and ticks. This study found that geranium oil works well in repelling ticks.

• Make an all natural non-toxic weed killer. Make your own DIY non-toxic weed killer with vinegar and clove essential oil to rid your garden of weeds. Vinegar is a natural and effective herbicide and weed killer. Add 10 drops of clove essential oil to a 32 oz spray bottle filled with vinegar. Mix well before each use.

• Natural solution for seasonal allergies. Combine 2 drops each of lavender, lemon and peppermint oil in an 8 oz glass of water and drink before heading out into the garden. *only use certified pure therapeutic grade oils for internal use. dōTERRA also offers a seasonal blend called TriEase. It is a soft gel which combines lemon, lavender and peppermint to help protect against seasonal allergies.

Diffuse Terrashield to repel mosquitos and enjoy a nice cold beverage or glass of wine and enjoy your beautiful backyard.

You can purchase essential oils directly from me here.