How I (Almost) Got Rid of the Ants in the Garden

The more I delve into the world of home gardening, the more information I'm exposed to, and the more excited I am to try out every tip I come across.
Recently, the spice garden at the cafe I work with became infested with ants. I was determined to try a natural treatment and learned search that lemon and cinnamon repel ants.
So, I placed lemon slices around the young lemon verbena bush and sprinkled cinnamon on the soil. In the first few hours, it seemed to work.
Not a single ant approached our garden, and I felt a sense of victory. I had defeated the chemicals!
However, the day after, while no ants approached the lemon verbena, they seemed to be popping up everywhere else. A review of the garden revealed that the ant nest was right on the roots of the lemon verbena, and from there, they were digging their way into the entire garden.
So I had to call an exterminator, after making sure he used materials that were as environmentally friendly as possible. And that's it. Since then, there have been no ants.
So, what did we learn?
1- It turns out that succulent roots are sweet, which is why ants are attracted to them, so it's recommended to separate succulents from herbs and vegetables.
2- How important specialization is. It's okay to try to do things yourself, but don't insist. Tried once or twice and didn't succeed? Contact a professional, at least for advice. You can't always know everything about everything
3- Everyone has their own field, a field that attracts and fascinates them and can, over the years, become their "area of genius." Mine is turning the house into a green paradise (not pest control, that's definitely not my field, but at least now I know professional exterminators who will be happy to advise me...). So, if you've started a home garden, indoors or outdoors, and you want to improve and nurture it and are wondering about equipment - then we have something to talk about!
(I promise to research and find the advice from the best professionals, so go ahead, challenge me with topics I have no idea about and force me to research for you!)