Quick growing ground cover plants that deter cats

[Richtea67]

Hi, we have a huge flower bed in our front garden that is in a right state with weeds galore. I've attempted to dig out and plant some shrubs before, but unfortunately don't have the time to maintain this, and this flower bed seems to be the local cat pooing place. Can anyone recommend any plants that would be attractive, cover the ground and suppress the invasive weeds, but also deter cats. I may also try to get some recycled paving slabs to reduce the surface area I need to deal with. If anyone had any other creative solutions for cheap, low maintenance options for a large flower bed happy to hear them. Thanks!

I can't help on the groundcover plant (would love to know as I need something to suppress the weeds in the spot I don't have time to garden!) but I do have some of these and they've stopped cats pooing in the area I have them:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/PestBye-Ultrasonic-Operated-Activated-Repellent/dp/B00FXSU2WK

@PorkPieForStarters thank you! We actually have one of these for another area of the garden and it's great! Will have to position it carefully at the front so it doesn't get the postman!

DH is currently scattering coffee grounds on the bed which has become the local public cat toilet. This seems to be effective.

I'm actually wondering about getting some wildflower turf....I think it's pricey compared to seeds but will be much easier and more of an instant solution I think. It will still be hard work prepping the flower bed though. Has anyone any experience with this?

We net the beds and they can’t get into it then

We got a motion activated noise device and that stopped the cats pooing on our lawn

Woodruff is a lovely ground cover plant but I can't vouch for deterring cats.

Good grief please don't buy those high pitched devices. Many people can hear them and it's equivalent to hearing fingernails scraping down blackboards. Thankfully they are starting to be classed as antisocial noise nuisances similar to non stop dog barking by some local councils so you could end up with a visit/court order. They should be banned.

You could try putting down sprigs of thorny pyracantha or roses to deter them. If it wasn't too near the public road/path you could use a motion activated water spray as they really hate that.

The caffeine in coffee grounds is toxic to plants, just saying.

Best thread on MN in a while. My kids can't use our garden because of the neighbours cats. Genuinely considering moving.

You might have more luck if you ask MNHQ to move this to gardening.

Apparently they dislike strong smelling plants so things like lavender, geraniums, rosemary, roses, lemon thyme, so you could try planting those. Lavender in particular would be lovely in a front garden.

Those bags of slate chippings you can get in B&M are pretty effective. We've got them on our front border. Cats don't like anything with sharp edges.

Holly leaves as a mulch and orange essential oil.

Ah, I might try these. Do you lay then on top of membrane or just directly on the soil?

The amount of caffeine left in used grounds is limited as most has gone into the coffee.

DH drinks two cups of coffee per day so the amount of grounds is limited, a scattering rather than inches thick. He is adding a fresh batch of grounds every day.

So far it has deterred cats and hasn't done the plants any harm at all. In fact as they rot down the grounds are adding nutrients to the soil.

@Richtea67 We just put ours straight onto the border.

www.rhs.org.uk/plants/59137/mentha-pulegium/details

Pennyroyal

More recent scientific research does show that caffeine is not beneficial to plants. In low, occasional doses, it would probably be harmless, but repeated applications will compound the effect. Over time, it decreases the pH levels in the soil, can stunt root development, and inhibit shoot growth.

I dare say that a small scattering such as you describe wouldn't cause any issues, but since I was aware of this research I thought I'd mention it. 🙂

Local cats, including mine, have definitely not got the memo that they hate rosemary. My rosemary acts as the cat messageboard.

Neighbour tried one of those noise devices. I must confess I was proud when I saw one of my cats sitting on it.

Things they actually don't like are spiky or thorny. You could just stick a load of broken canes in the ground so they haven't enough space to settle down to go to the toilet. And then grow whatever you like.

I have found that by having shrubs which cover as much of the visible soil as possible, it deters cats from using it as their loo.
A border in my front garden had several lavender bushes on it which had grown quite big, plus a spreading nepeta covered what they didn't. It did get a bit unruly so I have taken a lot of that out, and sadly whilst waiting for the new plants to take hold, the cat loo is back :( I have planted more lavenders, a pheasant berry shrub and many peonies which will mean the soil will have periods of being bare so I have also planted Mexican fleabane along the front edge so hopefully that will cover enough.