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How Do I... Create a Pet-Friendly Garden?
A horticulturist reveals how to make your backyard safer – and more fun – for your four-legged friends
In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning home and garden questions. Here, Angie Thomas, horticultural consultant to Yates, shares her top tactics for creating a garden that’s safe and enjoyable for your pets.
Which plants can be toxic to cats and dogs?
- Tomato plants: If you’re growing tomatoes in your garden, it’s wise to keep them securely fenced away from your furry pals. Although it’s safe for your cat or dog to eat small amounts of ripe tomatoes, the green stems, leaves and unripe fruit contain solanine, which can be extremely harmful to them – and us – if ingested in large amounts.
- Chives: Although chives are delicious for us to eat, they can be toxic to dogs and cats. Look to grow them in a pot that’s positioned out of your pets’ reach.
- Hydrangeas: Both the leaves and flowers of this beautiful plant contain toxins that can upset your pet’s stomach and make them feel lethargic. Grow this flowering plant in areas your cat or dog can’t access.
- Devil’s ivy: If your cat or dog ingests this common indoor plant, they can find it hard to breathe and swallow. Best avoided if you have pets.
Which flowers and plants can be particularly harmful to cats?
Tip: Working a tree or two into your garden design can help shade your pets and prevent them from overheating – a must on hot summer days.
- Lilies: These beautiful, fragrant flowers can be poisonous to cats. The main ones to avoid are peace, easter, day lily, Japanese and Asiatic lilies. Do not bring them into the house or garden if you have cats.
- Daffodils: Don’t let these delightful flowering bulbs fool you – all parts of the plant can be toxic to cats and other pets. Be wary of growing them in pet- accessible areas.
- Aloe vera: This plant can be useful for soothing mild burns in humans, but it can make your cat or dog unwell if they ingest it.
Tip: Working a tree or two into your garden design can help shade your pets and prevent them from overheating – a must on hot summer days.
What other potential dangers should I be aware of?
- Ponds and swimming pools: These can pose a real danger to small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs, which may fall into the water and find themselves unable to climb out. Keep water features and pools securely fenced to prevent pet (and child) access.
- Fertilisers: Ingesting fertiliser can make your furry friends extremely sick. Keep bags of fertiliser sealed, out of the reach of pets and closely follow the directions for use when applying them to your garden.
- Snail and rodent bait: Apply these to your garden with care as they can be dangerous to pets if swallowed. Follow the use and safety instructions on the packs to the letter.
- An open or broken fence: If you have a damaged fence – or forget to close the gate – you run the risk of your dog escaping onto the road or injuring itself on the broken fence panels or splintered wood. It’s wise to regularly check the condition of your fencing if you have pets, and remind everyone in your household to close the gate behind them.
Which safe plants and vegetables will my pet enjoy?
- Lemon balm: This easy-to-grow plant gives off a soothing fragrance that many cats and dogs enjoy.
- Wheat or oat grass: Your cat will love nibbling on wheat or oat grass, which can be grown in a pot or in a herb garden.
- Celery, capsicum, pumpkin, alfalfa, pear, apricots and strawberries: Delicious for rabbits… as well as humans.
- Strawberries, blueberries and lettuce: Your dog will enjoy the taste of these fresh fruits and veg.
- Seeds: Birds enjoy foraging for seeds, which you can grow yourself. Mix some bird seed into the top centimetre of potting mix in a pot, keep it moist and the seeds will sprout. Let the plants grow and develop seed heads, then place the pot inside the cage for the birds to nibble on. Just beware cats can’t prey on the birds.
What else can I add to my garden to make it pet-friendly?
- A scratching post: Cats love to scratch and it’s important for their health – it keeps their claws in good condition, gives them a good stretch and lets them mark their territory. Add a post or two to your garden and they’re less likely to scratch your indoor furniture.
- A digging pit: Digging comes naturally to most dogs, and a garden bed or lawn can, unfortunately, often prove irresistible. Dedicate a section of your garden for your dog as a digging pit and outline the area with wood or bricks. Burying toys, bones or treats will keep your dog interested in the area and should help deter him or her from digging up other parts of your garden.
Tell us
Have you tweaked your garden design for your pets? Tell us how in the Comments below. And remember to like, share and save this story. Join the conversation.
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Looking to spruce up your garden? Chat to a gardener or landscaping expert near you
Have you tweaked your garden design for your pets? Tell us how in the Comments below. And remember to like, share and save this story. Join the conversation.
More
Looking to spruce up your garden? Chat to a gardener or landscaping expert near you
Here’s what you need to know.