While you of course appreciate the potted plants on your patio, other creatures might also end up taking an interest in them. It's possible to keep insects, possums, and even cats away from your patio plants with a little bit of effort. You can even choose certain plants that will do the job for you while adding more beauty to your outdoor space. Patios can sometimes be like a playground (or even a buffet) for certain creatures, but fortunately it's not so difficult to change that. So what do you need to do?

Possums

Possums might munch on your plants, but even if they don't eat them, they can cause serious damage as they explore. The wood from the quassia tree is believed to deter possums. While they find it to be unpleasantly pungent, you will not notice any scent. You can buy quassia chips from most garden centres, and these can be spread around the base of your plants. It actually looks rather pleasant. Some people even make an anti-possum spray by boiling these wood chips and putting the strained quassia-infused water into a spray bottle, which is then distributed over your plants.

Flies and Mosquitoes

A simple household pesticide spray will keep flying pests away, but you might not be too keen on having to apply this pesticide on a regular basis. You might also wish to minimise your usage of potentially harmful chemicals. You can choose to plant one of the numerous pest-repelling plants, either as replacements for your existing plants or to be positioned alongside them. Lavender is a popular and effective choice, allowing you to enjoy that glorious scent that many flying bugs find so abhorrent.

Cats

Neighbourhood cats can easily damage your precious plants. They might use the plants as a litter tray, or they might simply destroy the plant as they play. Pebbles or stones placed onto the soil will prevent a cat from being able to use the pot plant as a litter tray. Cats are not fond of the smell of citrus, so you can try placing citrus rinds into the soil as well. You might also want to spray the plants with diluted lemon juice.

It's wonderful to enjoy the beautiful plants on your patio without having to constantly replace damaged plants or swat away annoying insects. Fortunately, with a minimal amount of effort you can make your patio plants far less appealing to the local wildlife.