Gardeners have been urged to introduce six plants to their garden to keep rats away "for good". These rodents pose a threat to many British gardens and can destroy crops.

Gardeners across the UK are often forced to resort to chemical pesticides, poison and traps to get rid of rats from their garden. However, there are natural ways to do this as well and they are pretty simple. There are certain plants that are known to deter rats. Elizabeth, an expert from Polytunnel Gardening, reveals that these six plants will deter rats form your garden "for good". She explained: "Some plants naturally deter rats due to their strong sense of smell, and filling your flower beds and vegetable patches with them can keep the pests away." Rats, she explains, have very sensitive noses and when there is a smell that they don't like, they will avoid the area. So, introduce these smells to your garden to keep rats at bay and have a rodent-free garden this summer.

Rats rely on their sense of smell to find food. But if there is an overwhelming smell that masks the scent of food, then rats will be turned away. That's where these six plants come into play.

Elizabeth says that these plants are:

• Daffodils
• Garlic
• Lavender
• Sage
• Marigolds
• Oregano

Lavendaer in particular is effective as it has a very sweet smell, something that rats will not be attracted to.

But the most effective thing to do is to plant a variety of these flowers and herbs around your garden. This way, you will maximise your chances of keeping rats away.

Daffodils, meanwhile, contain compounds that are toxic to rodents due to the presence of lycorine which means that rats will stay well clear of it at all costs. However, daffodils are also toxic to cats ans dogs, so you need to make sure that your pets do not eat your flowers.

You should also ensure that your garden is tidy when introducing these plants. Gardens that are cluttered and overgrown are attractive to rats.