Unwanted cats skulking through your garden can do irreparable harm by digging, depositing waste and using plants as soft napping spots. By using safe repellents, however, you can protect your flowers without harming their feline visitors.
Orange and lemon peels, rue (which can be planted in your garden), cayenne pepper or coffee grounds can all act as natural deterrents against cats, as can motion-activated sprinklers.
Electric Fence
Electric fences can be an effective means of keeping cats away from gardens. A wire conducts electricity from a unit called an “energizer”, connected to the ground, so when an animal steps on the wire it completes the circuit and receives a small shock that should deter but not harm any future visits to flower gardens.
Some people use battery-powered sprinklers to deter cats from entering flower beds. Although they may spray water at animals, most do not enjoy being hit with such an intense stream. You can also purchase motion-activated sprinklers with loud noises or barking dogs that deter cats.
Planting pungent plants in your garden may help deter cats. Coleus caninus has an unpleasant odour which many cats find unpleasant; you could also consider adding plants like holly, blackberry bushes and perennial geraniums with sharp leaves or thorns as deterrents to keep cats away. Furthermore, this will also deter insects or any pests that could otherwise invade and damage your flowers and garden.
Oscillate Fence
Cats often cause havoc to flower gardens by digging holes that they use as litter boxes, using flowers as soft napping spots, and chewing their stems. Physical deterrents such as rough surfaces and unpleasant scents may help prevent cats from damaging your plants.
The RSPB advises using either simple rattan fencing to safeguard your flower garden, or more permanent solutions like plastic bird netting shaped into cloche shapes to secure specific beds or vegetable patches.
One option is installing an oscillate fence, consisting of paddles that spin when cats attempt to jump over or around it. The spinning prevents their paw from gripping onto the top of the fence and causes them to fall over; this method is less effective against plants such as catmint (nepeta). You could also try chicken wire or sheet of netting to keep cats out of bed plants and seed beds.
Plants That Attract Cats
Some plants produce pungent odors that cats find offensive, including the scarecrow plant (Coleus canina), lavender and rosemary. Plant these aromatic plants around your flower beds along with others that boast fragrant foliage such as thyme or lemon thyme for maximum cat repellency.
Other plants that can help deter cats include nepeta (catmint), sea holly, globe thistle and tropical grevillea. Position these around your garden or window box perches where cats might try and enter.
An easy, cost-effective way to stop cats from roaming your flower bed is to cover its soil with debris such as sticks and leaves that they will avoid walking through, such as roses, blackberry bushes or perennial geraniums that require them to traverse.
branches with sharp, thorn-covered branches can also help deter cats from accessing flowers, while adding pine cones or branches on top of soil will provide an unpleasant surface for cats to step on.
Water
Cats that wander into gardens uninvited are every gardener’s worst nightmare, damaging plants and digging holes that become litter boxes. To deter them, there are various methods from simple deterrents to structural defenses that you can try out to keep cats at bay.
Vinegar can be an effective cat deterrent, since its scent repels cats. Pour a solution of equal parts water and vinegar over the area that needs protecting, and reapply as necessary. Or use a motion-activated sprinkler that sprays cats with water – either way it may scare away cats from entering your garden!
Ammonia’s strong odor can also dissuade cats, so fill small jars with dilute ammonia and place them buried near your flower garden. Citrus scent is another effective deterrent; just throw orange or grapefruit peels into your flower bed to irritate their skin and put her off from coming near them.