Taking Care of My Friend
Tips on Dog-proofing your garden
For the last seven years, I have kept my sweet Emily on a leash as I walk her around the garden, trying to teach her to stay on the paths. Not so easy. And when I had knee surgery last December, I knew I couldn’t be walking her for weeks. So I decided to let Em have the run of the yard so she could tend to business. Of course, most of the plants were dormant so I wasn’t too worried about much damage.
However, it is Spring now and Emily is used to being free in the garden. Luckily, it has always been fenced so she stays off the street. But she also loves running and jumping into the flower beds. I have decided it is her yard, too, so instead of training her, she has trained me not to care so much. However, there are dangers lurking in the gardens that I must deal with before she hurts herself.
First, let’s talk about safety. I can no longer set out slug bait willy nilly and expect the dogs to leave it alone. While other dogs ignored it, Emily is intrigued by something that smells so different. She is not above sampling that new smell no matter what it may be. And, to my dismay, the most effective slug baits are highly toxic to pets. I will have to resort to other methods of repelling the Slimy Ones. I have tried handpicking the last few years because I hate using toxins on my garden anyway, but handpicking is just not as effective as a good ‘ole poison. Since this is not an option anymore, I have started to use old coffee grounds around their preferred plants like hosta. The slugs don’t like the grit nor the caffeine, so it has worked well for me the last couple of years. Just a light sprinkling around the drip line is all I need. Until it rains, then I have to reapply.
From watching Emily this winter, I realize dogs like to run the perimeters of the property, patrolling their kingdoms. Of course, this was obvious, but it took someone pointing it out to me before I got how silly it would be to plant precious things inside the perimeter of a border fence. Our entire yard is fenced, and in some instances, mature shrubs grow along that fence. In other portions, the fence is lined with blackberries for the birds to enjoy. But I know Em loves to run along the fence, checking out who is walking or driving down our street. I am not concerned about the mature shrubs or the blackberries, but I took to heart leaving perimeter space empty of anything special. Grass is planted there, but fine gravel would probably be even better and make less of a muddy mess.
Fresh water is a necessity. Emily distains drinking from puddles, so she needs a clean bowl with fresh water. Talk about training me well!
Also, I am more aware of the toxicity of my plants now that Emily might eat them. She is particularly attracted to eating grasses, which are pretty much harmless. I didn’t realize how tasty Japanese forest grass would be to a grazing dog, but those are her preference. Of course… they are the most expensive grasses I have. That dog has “good taste” (you should pardon the pun). So the Hakonechloa grasses go outside the front gate where I can enjoy them and Em can’t reach them.
But some plants, like Acontium (monkshood) and Euphorbia, can be dangerous when ingested so I have created some unique - and virtually free - fencing around certain clumps of plants. I spend lots of time on the Barview beaches scouting for nice pieces of driftwood that I use to construct a fence. A few strategically placed screws to join the pieces of driftwood, and voila! a fence. Not a long-term solution, I admit, but it will help in the short run to encourage Emily to stay on the paths instead of running through the garden. A bonus is that I happen to like the way driftwood fences lend a hint of the ocean to the garden. I do try to choose pieces that have been dried in the sun so most of the salt content has hopefully been evaporated. I also have to remember not to make the fence too high so I can effortlessly step over it.
Ideally, I will find other plants that are not toxic and will remove the Monkshood and Euphorbia. Another thing to go on my shopping list for May’s trips to the nurseries.
All I need to do now is to spend some time in the garden with my dear Emily, training her to run along the driftwood fencing instead of jumping over it.