B&Q launches £14 flower which stops cats from pooing in your garden

While catsare free to roam the streets and gardens it can be seriously frustrating when they decide to use your gardenas 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 plantsand 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.

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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

Do you have a story to share? Email niamh.kirk@reachplc.com

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