Yards are not only for the very rich in New York, with rats popping in and out of gardens across the five boroughs. And rodents are a great equalizer—Carrie lives in very posh Gramercy, but still, the rats came for her. “Rats don’t check your zip code before they step foot in your yard,” says my friend Tara McCauley, a New York City-based interior designer (Tara spelled backwards is A Rat. Coincidence?). She suggests as much preparation as possible.

“It will come as little surprise to hear that this interior designer believes outsourcing to a professional is always a good idea,” McCauley says. “I recommend bringing in a professional pest-proofing expert before you begin decorating your yard. They’ll know exactly which vulnerabilities and entry points to mitigate from the start. It’s best to have that done before you start adding decorative fencing, not after.”

But no one should get their hopes up for a yard free of Remy and his emotionally toxic father’s gang from Ratatouille. “The idea of rat-proofing a New York yard honestly makes me laugh,” says floral designer and Home & Garden CT-NY design correspondent Caleb Kane. “I mean, when has trying to outsmart nature ever ended well for anyone? Sure, you could go full Fort Knox with traps, baits, and sprinkle a little poison around like you’re seasoning a cast-iron cancer skillet. But personally, I prefer to work with nature, not against it.”

When asked if it’s possible to keep rats entirely out of the garden in New York City, garden designer and artist Landon Newton gave a gentle yet firm “no,” while also taking a benevolent approach. “Rats live here too—it’s about encouraging them to kindly live elsewhere,” he says. “The key is staying vigilant. I never use poison or sticky traps. Instead: remove food sources, monitor for pathways, and disrupt their scent trails by spraying down surfaces with water or using strong-smelling repellents (they hate dryer sheets). If you notice burrows, call in a professional exterminator, ideally one who avoids poison and uses dry ice or CO2. Humane options exist!”

Kane, Newton, and interior designer Maude Etkin all suggest growing aromatic herbs like mountain mint, sage, lavender, or rue to both serve as rat deterrents and fuel for a lush garden. “I would recommend planting things rats won’t touch,” says Kane. “Heavily scented herbs are your secret weapon. And no, I don’t mean marijuana, though that’s an idea.”