Mealy bugs can be gotten rid of by touching them with a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol. You have to do it every other day until the problem is gone, because the alcohol only kills the live bugs and not the eggs. So you keep on doing it until you get the ones which have newly hatched. To keep flying bugs away from indoor plants, stick a garlic clove or two into each pot. When the garlic gets too high, snip it off and use it in a salad.

well i posted back in August that my new bed had lots of ants. Just figured I'd report back that it was no problem. I still see a few ants here and there but nothing like back in August. Everything grew fine except my spinach is still small. I harvested tons of lovely lettuces, turnips, radishes, peas and beets. The only other problem was imported cabbage worms ate the kale up. Next year I'm planning on getting agribon row covers to protect from the worms. The ants though- no problems!

I agree with Flora--planting like this may do a little bit, but won't completely solve the problem. As she stated, chives are super easy to grow, but they do grow in clumps. It would take a lot to make an actual 'fence'. Garlic chives are also nice, with pretty flowers, though they'll take longer to mature. (they're pretty puny the first year) Both chives can spread if you don't cut the flowers to prevent seeding. Basil you might want to do more research on--I seem to remember that it might be a help to roses in other ways, but as I don't grow roses, didn't pay much attention to that when I read it. Catnip grows easily, but you will attract every cat in the neighborhood to your garden, and it can spread. Catmint doesn't attract the cats as much, but does become a nuisance as far as spreading. Garlic and onions are relatively easy, but may not have much effect, especially in raised beds. I'm a city girl, so don't have much problem with bunnies and deer (do have to worry about rats eating my seedlings). I do remember something I read saying she plants a ring of parsley around some beds--the bunnies just stay on the edges and eat that and leave the inner stuff alone. Aphids will be a problem, and if you want to stick organic, the best way to combat them is your garden hose. A good spray will knock most of them off, and if you keep it up, they're weak little critters and many will die before climbing back up. A spray bottle of a dishsoap solution will help kill eggs organically--make sure you're spraying the bottoms of leaves. Neem may be an option too. Maybe check out the rose forum for other suggestions? The herbs that have been mentioned here are all easy to grow. Most like average soil, well draining (which your raised beds would be). Very little fertilizer is needed for in-ground herbs, if any as long as the soil was amended with compost, etc. They all like to be kept more moist (moist but not sitting in water) unlike some of the Mediterranean arid types--if you look at thyme, oregano, rosemary--you'll have to do more research to learn their water needs. Basil is annual, easy to grow from seed or buy transplants, but you'll plant it each year. Chives are perennial and would come back after winter each year.

Cant tell you about rats...I'm sure we have them but just not out of the city. Well I've had no luck keeping mice from my pile (living in wheat field country) but gardner snakes always move in and reside within or nearby to keep them in check. Last year I had one literaly living in my cool pile all season. The only time I've seen mint work is when I've strewn it around inside cupbards/cabnits ect. to prevent mice coming in to reside in fall around wheat harvest time...the mice scatter in all directions when the combine comes thru and guess where they go! It has pretty much worn off some by early spring and I get more mice coming in. I know the numbers greatly decreased using it. What works even better is Common Tansy and since I pulled all my mint this is what I use. I got a nice huge plant from which I harvest the leaves in fall and again in spring. The smell is extremely pungent. How it would work around a compost pile I don't know, but mine is planted about 8 feet away. One thing forsure if you try this don't let flower heads go to seed or you may regret it! It's a noxious weed here so I forsure have to be diligent. Vera