"Wylie Wilde" wrote:

What are some good plants to put into a tropical garden to deter mosquitos?

I was in Singapore recently visiting gardens and since orchids do so
well for you, I would guess you have a very moist climate. The first
step is to avoid standing water:

Change water in birdbaths, and pet watering dishes every 48 hours. Stock
ornamental pools with predacious fish. Never leave water in sprinkling
cans or buckets for more than 48 hours. Check garden statuary for places
water may collect. Add holes for drainage or empty regularly. Don't
let water set for more than two days in flower pots or rain gutters.
Fill tree holes with sand or mortar, or develop drain holes so water
cannot accumulate.

Using mosquito-repelling plants, such as the citrosa plant and garlic,
and electronic bug zappers are not known to significantly reduce
mosquito numbers. The plants' anti-bug oils only protect their leaves.
The lemon scented geraniums they're selling do repel skeeters - but not
just sitting in a pot. You have to pick some leaves, crush them up and
rub them on your skin. This works with any lemony-fragrance herb.
University researchers found lemon thyme to be the best: it repels
mosquitoes almost as well as commercial repellants, but only if you
extract the oil from the plant and apply the oil to your skin.

Providing a hospitable habitat for mosquito predators makes the most
sense.* Bats can eat 600 mosquitoes per hour, a large dragonfly can eat
100 in one feeding foray, and toads are also big mosquito consumers.* So
perhaps some bat and toad houses would be a good addition.

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