Three design tips for a dog-friendly garden
After more than thirty years, I can say that it is possible to have a well-kept garden and a happy dog. Through trial and error, advice from nurseries and master gardeners, and sharing ideas with gardener friends, I learned about gardening with dogs. It’s not very complicated, really.
I just mean three things. First, I start with the ending in mind. The yard and garden should meet the needs of everyone in the family, including our dog Lizzie. Still, she spends more time outside than we do. She needs some open space to walk around (so do we), a comfortable spot in the sun tempered with some shade (so do we), and she enjoys a cold drink on those warm summer nights… seems to have model here. Well, our dog pretty much enjoys the same garden features that we do. But wait, we’re not quite done.
I have noticed that dogs seldom appreciate the fragility of these specimen plants for which nurseries charge so much. Nor do they appreciate artfully winding paths. Every dog I know has taken the most direct route to their destination. I discovered this in my first garden many years ago. I was new to Oregon and wanted some of these amazing rhododendrons. I looked for eight beauties in five gallon pots. Every day my Rhodies got a little smaller as my lively springer spaniel ran down the garden path and “bumped” into them.
Susan’s Best Dog Friendly Plants
These plants do not appear on anyone’s “toxic” list and will recover after a little abuse.
- California Lilac (Ceanothus sp.)
- chokeberry (Aronia sp.)
- Sticky bamboo
- Coreopsis
- Currents or Ribes sp. (Saxifragaceae)
- Honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.)
- lavender (Lavandula sp.)
- Ornamental grasses (various varieties Deschampsia, Eragrostis, Helictotrichon Miscanthus, Pennisetum)
- Rockrose (Cistus sp.)
- Oysters (Carex sp.)
- Bridal Wreath (Spiraea thunbergova)
- “Spring bouquet” Viburnum (Caprifoliacceae tinus)
- Purple purple willow (Salix sp.)
My advice is to note your dog’s natural paths through the yard and plant healthy and hearty specimens near play and run areas. See my list for some other hearty plants that can be “flipped” and recover well.
My last planning point is to know your dog’s biting habits and know which parts of the plants in your yard may be toxic. When I started gardening, if I had known that all parts of rhododendron and azalea were toxic to dogs, I would not have planted them. Luckily, my dog preferred green bean and strawberry salads. Today, my garden is full of rhodiums and azaleas, but I know our dog, Lizzie, limits her nibbles to a few harmless ornamental grasses. It’s easy to find out which plants and plant parts are toxic – just search: “toxic plants for pets”.
If you share your garden with your dog during work, play and rest, your dog will be more relaxed and less likely to relieve boredom by chewing, digging or other disruptive behaviour. So plan your garden with your pup. After all, you will be happily surrounded by beauty and your dog will be happy just to be with you.
#design #tips #dogfriendly #garden
