A garden is a labor of love, even if it's just a couple of containers on a balcony. It takes time, attention and love. And normally it pays us back 3 fold with beauty, fruit and a sense of having created something lovely. So when snails, slugs or aphids start attacking, here are 5 natural repellents to keep your garden happy and healthy:

1. Marigolds: Certain plants actually deter insects and pests from the rest of your garden. As the blog LA in Bloom documented, a row of marigolds can help keep a vegetable garden safe.

2. Soapy Water: If you're having an aphid outbreak, cut off the leaves that are the most consumed and then spray the remaining leaves (of a rose for instance) with soapy water. Aphids don't like the soapiness and it won't hurt the plant.

3. Beer: If snails are your problem there's the dirty work of picking off the ones you see. But at night put out saucers of beer. The snails will be drawn to it but they won't make it past the saucer and onto the plant.

4. Ladybugs: Lots of nurseries sell packs of ladybugs that you can release into your garden. They'll eat up a bunch of the offenders and give you something to ooh and ahhh over.

(Images: Hollenback Community Garden, LA in Bloom, Cosmetic Market and Xylem Scientific.)