Dog-Friendly Gardens

Sharing your garden with a four-legged friend can sometimes be problematic, especially if your dog likes to eat plants or drink water from every container in your garden.

Some dogs cannot fight their natural instinct to dig up soil and bury bones. If, like me, you love the plants in your garden and you equally love your furry, canine friend, it’s important to find the balance of having a beautiful garden and a happy four-legged companion.

When planting up a garden bed where your dog is going to wander or explore, be aware that there are some plants that can be toxic to dogs, such as the stems of Lathyrus Odoratus (Sweet Pea), Digitalis (Foxglove) or the leaves of Bergenia (Elephants Ears), which can be fatal if eaten. But it’s not all doom and gloom as there are hundreds of plants which do not pose a threat to dogs. Plants like Antirrhinum (Snapdragon), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflowers) or Roses are perfectly safe to have around your four-legged friends.

Many dogs just can’t help themselves when it comes to eating scraps off the floor and the garden is no different. Avoiding chemical use of any sort is very important, even using slug pellets which can be passed onto the dog if they eat a slug or snail. Equally, dogs love to drink water from any receptacle, other than the clean bowl you provide for them. They love to drink mucky water, the dirtier the better. Never be tempted to introduce additives into your water feature or pond as your dog will be tempted to drink from them. It’s also important to ensure that your planting schemes are not treated with insecticides or weed killers as these chemicals have the potential to poison your dog too.

Read more in the August issue…