I’m a pro gardener & swear by 30p trick to stop your lawn turning into a ‘cat toilet’ – it helps those with allergies
UNLESS you’re a cat owner, finding your garden covered in litter by someone else’s furry pet can be quite the nuisance.
This is even more frustrating when you’re allergic to cats and their fluffy hair, often sneezing, with a waterfall of tears streaming down your eyes.
One person to, unfortunately, know a little about this is pro gardener and landscape pro Pollyanna Wilkson, who’s fallen victim to the common allergy.
But with around 25 per cent of the UK populating owning a cat, how can you prevent the neighbourhood feline roaming into your outdoor space uninvited?
Although the high street is full of different products that promise to tackle the issue, not only can these repellents be expensive but also don’t deliver the results.
Luckily, the secret to a feline-free garden can be found in your kitchen – or at the local supermarket for as little as a purse-friendly 30p.
According to Pollyanna – who recently shared how to make an ugly fence disappear with an £8 Wickes buy – it’s all about certain aromas that cats despite.
Spilling the beans on The Ins and Outs podcast with interior design expert Jojo Barr, the whizz explained that these pets are ”really sensitive to smell” – which you can use to your advantage.
”They don’t like scents like citrus and lavender.
”One thing that animal charities recommend is that you mix something like lemon juice or lavender oil in a spray can with water and you spritz that wherever they tend to crap.”
The cheap yet effective hack is said to ”put them off” – however, if you’re not sold on this, there are other methods.
”What we used to do in my old garden where we had real problems with it is we had one of those automatic water sprayers – […] it just surprises them.
”But obviously then you sometimes get sprayed yourself,” she chuckled in the episode.
Those dealing with annoying cats littering their garden can also invest in an ultrasonic animal repellent, as these felines are highly sensitive to sound.
This alternative, which emits high-pitched noises, is also yet another humane way to keep the furry friends out of your garden, and you can order them on Amazon and other retailers.
However, if you find the high-pitched sound too harsh and distracting, Pollyanna also shared another alternative – and this requires putting your work gloves on.
Tips for keeping pests from your garden
- Plant companion plants such as peppermint to repel rats.
- Place Garden Netting Pest Barrier, over your flowerbeds.
- Fill open-top containers with beer and place in soil to repel slugs.
- Spray plants with Neem Oil, to repel ants, flies, and spiders.
- Dust your flowerbeds with Diatomaceous Earth.
- Mix 1 tablespoon dish soap, 10 drops peppermint oil, and 4 cups water and spray on flowerbeds.
- Place eggshells around your plants to protect from slugs and snails.
”So, they like bare earth – it might be that your plants are too spread out.
”If you add more planting, that makes it harder for them [to move],” the expert explained.
But while the four-legged pets may indeed be annoying at times and wreak havoc, they’re still animals that require compassion and kindness, Pollyanna reminded.
”Whatever you do – make it kind.”