By Pete Mihalek
Today's Garden Center

Before lighting their citronella candles and coating their skin with those unpleasant smelling insect repellents, consumers should head to their local garden centers. There are several plants you can offer them that will help keep the summer bugs at bay:

Catnip - 10 times more effective than DEET, a common bug repellent chemical, catnip loves sunny locations with well-drained soils. This perennial herb produces gray-green foliage with soft blue flowers.

Marigolds - While it may not have the best scent, marigolds work well in vegetable gardens, repelling the "bad" insects that attack produce and the beneficial insects. They also keep mosquitoes at a distance. Marigolds and their bright orange, yellow and red blossoms like plenty of sun.

Lemon Thyme - Speaking of fragrance, like the name states, lemon thyme emits a clean lemon scent popular with humans, yet extremely unpopular with insects. This evergreen perennial is hardy in zones 4-11 and prefers full sun. It’s drought tolerant, spreads quickly, and looks a lot like English thyme.

Lemon Basil - Another aromatic herb, this finicky annual is covered with small flowers and needs to be watered regularly. It’s a good addition to any vegetable garden for its ability to deter white flies and also enhance the flavor of tomatoes.