Natural Pest Remedies for Your Cottage Garden

There’s something timeless and joyful about a traditional cottage garden – overflowing borders, soft pastels, and firm favourites like lupins, hostas and lilies. But that lush growth doesn’t just attract admiring glances – it invites slugs, aphids, and fungal issues too.

If you’re keen to protect your plants without resorting to harsh chemicals, these homemade and natural remedies offer a gentle, wildlife-friendly approach that really works.

🧄 Garlic Spray – A Classic DIY Defender

Garlic has long been used to deter pests naturally. It's especially useful for warding off aphids, whitefly, and some types of fungal diseases – without harming the plants or beneficial insects.

How to make garlic spray:

• Boil 2–3 whole bulbs (not just cloves) of garlic in 1 litre of water for 10–15 minutes.
• Cool, strain and dilute to 2 litres with water.
• Pour into a spray bottle and apply to plant leaves – especially the undersides.

For extra strength, add a finely chopped chilli to the mix before boiling – the heat intensifies the deterrent effect, particularly on sap-sucking pests.

Best for:

• Hostas
• Lupins
• Alstroemeria (Peruvian lily)
• Delphiniums
• Roses
• Salvias
  

Apply early in the morning or evening and reapply every few days, especially after rain.

🐌 Natural Slug & Snail Deterrents

Slugs and snails love nothing more than munching on your most delicate plants – but they hate rough textures and copper. Try:

• Crushed eggshells or coffee grounds around plant bases
• Horticultural grit, wool pellets, or organic slug granules
• Copper tape around pots – it gives them a mild electric shock
• Landscape Bark (100L) – a natural barrier and mulch that also helps with moisture retention
  

These methods form a barrier that slugs simply won’t cross, helping to protect your prized lupins, hostas and young seedlings.

🌿 Prefer to Avoid the Hassle? Choose Slug-Resistant Plants

If you’d rather not be constantly on patrol for slugs, the simplest solution might be to plant varieties they’re less interested in. Many plants have tougher or more aromatic leaves that naturally deter slugs. Some reliable, slug-resistant choices that we often stock at the garden centre include:

• Geranium (Cranesbill) – long-flowering, easy and totally unappealing to slugs
• Astrantia – excellent for shady spots and rarely touched
• Ferns – great for texture and structure in borders
• Lavender – the strong scent deters slugs and attracts pollinators
• Foxgloves – beautiful cottage favourites with tough, fuzzy leaves
• Heuchera – evergreen foliage in stunning colours, generally ignored by slugs
• Santolina - also known as cotton lavender, is evergreen and hardy.

These options can help you build a beautiful, low-maintenance garden without the need for slug prevention methods. 

🌼 Companion Planting & Fragrance-Based Protection

A clever way to deter pests is by using companion planting – placing plants near each other that naturally repel insects:

• Garlic or chives near roses and Alstroemeria help deter aphids
• Marigolds near lupins or sweet peas repel whitefly and blackfly
• Strongly scented herbs like rosemary, thyme, and fennel can confuse or deter common pests
• Marigolds also attract hoverflies, which feed on aphids – a natural double win

This technique also boosts pollinator visits and adds even more texture and colour to your beds and borders.

🐝 Bee-Friendly Bottled Support

For those times when a homemade solution isn’t enough, we recommend choosing gentle, bee-safe options like:

• Westland Bug Guard 800ml RTU – perfect for aphids, white fly, and green fly
• Westland Fungus Guard 800ml RTU – ideal for powdery mildew, black spot and rust

Both are safe to use on ornamental and edible plants, and help support healthy growth without harming pollinators.

A Gentle Gardening Approach

Natural remedies may take a little longer to work, but they’re a great way to garden in harmony with nature. Keep an eye on your plants, treat problems early, and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing your garden is thriving – naturally.

For more Eco-friendly products, tools and seasonal tips, visit us in-store or browse our  advice and blogs section.