Sharing your outdoor space with a dog creates some additional considerations. Here are some good basic ideas to get started to make sure your garden is safe for your dog and vice versa.
- Start first with a plan, and make accomodations for your dog’s needs, a place to run, a place to poop, a shady place to rest. Make sure that you have plenty of toys around to keep your dog busy.
- Fencing – Check your fence every so often and make sure that it’s secure. With wind, rain and possible chewing it may need reinforcement from time to time.
- Perrenials are always easier, and arrange them in large groups – dogs will tend to go around a cluster of plants rather than trample.
- Some gardening experts recommend a border of driftwood to keep dogs out of beds, or raising your beds so that that are inaccessible.
- Be vigilant about keeping garden chemicals out of your dog’s reach, and be sure that what you do use, is non-toxic and eco-friendly.
We found this list of plants to avoid. Talk to the people at your local nursery and ask about plants that may have thorns. A seedling in a 4 inch pot make look harmless but after a few years in Florida soil, the thorns could be threatening. You can also check ASPCA.org for more information about toxicity in plants.