The one plant that I would definitely add to this list is nicotiana affinis, otherwise called night-scented tobacco. It's fragrance is absolutely delicious in the evenings and it traps aphids in its sticky hairy leaves and stem. Read more about it (with photos) at: http://alan-chadwick.org/html%20pages/techniques/garden_plants/veg_photos.html . But beware, only get the white flowered one, as the colored ones are much less effective or fragrant. Here is a link that might be useful: Alan-Chadwick.org

Basil, feverfew, fennel, garlic, lavender, lemon balm, marigold, tea-tree, spearmint, pennyroyal, lemon scented geranium, neem, rosemary, southernwood or yarrow will all help repel mosquitoes. As will almost any strong-scented herb. The lemon-scented geranium (Pelargonium crispum minor) is often touted as the Mozzie Zapper plant and even sometimes as Citronella plant, though the real citronella plant is a close relative of lemongrass. To be really effective, however, the essential oils of the plants have to be released in some way, usually by crushing the leaves, rubbing the leaves onto the skin, brushing up against the plants, burning them (on a barbecue for instance) etc. If you grow such plants around your outdoor living areas in profusion, and encourage guests to keep touching them, some protection will be offered. Making personal skin repellent mixtures with the essential oils and a carrier oil is undoubtedly more effective. If you're going to burn citronella candles and the essential oils in special oil-burners, you need quite a lot of them, but they do work. Mosquitoes are attracted to the colours yellow and blue, and they prefer women and children over men, and go for those people who eat a lot of sweet things.

Hey again! I would not rate diatomaceous earth as 'quite dangerous', but it is to some extent damaging if large amounts are inhaled. It does work quite well, though, mixing it in some water and drinking it to take care of parasites, and clean the intestines. That aside, I will give you an example about how it would be to apply it. I have a peach tree that, in the summer, gets quite a large ant infestation. I would then proceed to sprinkle the diatomaceous earth on the soil, especially concentrating it around the trunk of the tree. In a tree, there is one way up and down. Putting the Earth around the trunk cuts off that route, and forces the ants to leave, for lack of resources. That way, you can avoid altogether the sprinkling on the leaves. Hope I helped!! ~palmsandsnow

Slugs aren't an issue in our garden ... we don't treat for them nor see significant damage from them. We do containerize all our tomatoes and peppers, though that's a different matter unrelated to deer. The space in the L of the house is generally less bothered by deer, but it is small and filled (large hosta, faucet, and space for tomatoes and peppers). The yew next to the door gets munched, though primarily in the winter, so still not entirely safe but less appealing when there are options. We have plenty of coyotes/coywolves, and they're not new. They can be heard nightly and seen periodically running through the yard. (There's a pack to the north that probably lives on the aqueduct about a quarter mile away; they're the noisiest. There's another pack to the east that is likely a bit further away but not far; that may or may not be the same pack that can be heard to the south, which would be in the preservation land a quarter to half mile away. I haven't seen the pair of coywolves recently, but they're probably still around ... they come up from the back (south).) There's a fox that lives by the wetlands behind our property; it generally doesn't come up past the pines in the back of our yard. We know the canines are around ... we don't want to entice them to come closer or more than they do ... hence the question in regards to attraction. They're already around; we don't want to give them a reason to come here beyond their normal pass through, etc. Fencing the property isn't an option ... we're not taking out the stone wall, and we'd like to have an open view. We cage some plants, and it offers them some protection, but who wants a garden where all the plants are in prison? We have a small garden with a mid-height fence and raised beds that is generally safe other than some minor reaching (the blackberries are probably an additional protection), but it's only 5 4x4 beds, three of which have established blueberry bushes in them. The remaining sun bed is full (well, it has one hole that already has its transfer plant assigned). The shade bed is a challenge (it's pretty much under the enormous Juniperus virginiana) but could probably accept a couple hosta divisions. I can't fit an entire garden (or three) of plants into a couple raised beds.