GARDENING & DOGS

sessa35 · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:26 pm Post subject: GARDENING & DOGS

So,
MyBoo bringing up gardening is SO well timed with spring and all....

I wanted to ask everyone about the topic of:

GARDENING & DOGS...

Now, I say,
Gardening AND dogs because I truly believe it should be possible...
In an ideal world, its a marriage between training and compromise between the owner and the dog's use of the yard...
most of my searches for "dog friendly landscaping" so far have led me down avenues where supposed "true gardening" doesn't involve dogs whatsoever...I'd like to think otherwise, as usual Rolling Eyes

For the last two years, as long as we've had Mija, Paul and I have been trying to transform our backyard into a hospitable place both for humans and dogs--while at the same time looking to obviously increase the value of our home (the yard was pretty much a blank slate when we bought the house)...anyway, long story short, so far we've built gravel "running" paths around the perimeter of the yard which connect to human gravel paths that meander on the front sides of garden beds...the few garden beds that I have planted (last fall) are covered with large bulk mulch--a tad difficult to manage and tends to hide poo too well....we are going to attempt, repeat attempt, to have a low-water lawn in the center--HAHA, we shall see...I am still researching good plants/bushes to put in that are dog friendly (i.e. ones that aren't poisonous and perhaps ones that will promote "hiding spots" and shady areas to sit behind)...

I am hoping that experienced folks 'round here will chime in briefly with some opinions and maybe tips to help those of us who would like to have a nice looking yard while at the same time making it dog friendly....

plant tips that are dog friendly...
hardscaping surfaces...
container gardening vs in-ground...
training a non-digger and non-plant eater etc...

anything at all...
really...
get the discussion rollin'...

LET HER RIP!! Very Happy

_________________
REASON #50, "Why I love my doodle so": My doodle teaches ME new things EVERY day!

MaxandMe · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:22 pm Post subject:

Vanessa i have several big gardens and you need another option:

YES YOU can have Gardens and Garden WITHOUT any fences! Very Happy

I've always been outside with Peanut and Max to-date and say
NO or UH UH, so they don't dig, go in, or damage my gardens.

I do have ONE garden that is shrubs inbetween several ornamental tall Pear trees and I let them run through that one. another garden i have stepping stones down one side and rocks outlining the perimeter.

Dog friendly plants: most perrenials especially ornamental grasses, sedums, most deicidous shrubs it's the evergreen ones that turn brown due to salt in urine that burns bush, quick hosing down helps.

now Containers should be heavy so they aren' t knocked over and on medium to larger sizes too.

digging...let Mija try to dig while you act like you're not looking
and each time say NO ......takes a little while but they stop digging
BUT give Mija her OWN digging spot too. I have with Peanut and Max as it's only ntaural for a dog.

I also mulch with cedar or pine bark mulch. other areas i have used groundcovers that add beauty, keep in moisture in soil and doesn't seem bothered by dogs walking on it.

when i do design I also Place several larger sized rocks randomly that makes it more difficult for a dog to walk through it heh heh heh

rhododendrons, holly, yews are the toxic plants top on the list.

OH OH ....aromatic plants for some reason dogs do NOT like them!
so i've always had some like Artmesia aka wormwood, ornamental sage and some dwarf oregano.
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Forum BLOG ARTICLE LINK http://blog.labradoodle-dogs.net/

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France

Megan · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 3:55 am Post subject:

I'm quite sure I didn't add to the value of the house when I fixed my backyard!
So many trees the grass was weeds and dirt only. The ground was also uneven ++.
60 year old boring peonies & forsythia.
So..we ripped it all out, applied Killex, landscaping fabric & then rounded pea gravel (4 inches deep) over the entire thing!
Beach rocked the outside edge 2 feet wide.
My daughter & I did this over Mothers Day weekend 2005. We planned it all winter (a lot measuring & diagrams to know how much stone required), ordered supplies, bought a wheelbarrow, knee pads, rubber boots, leather gloves, shovels!
We had planned to add some larger stone pathways & containers with plants but have not bothered -love it plain.
Lots of people find it odd but we love it. We do not have any mud ever!
Our snow melts faster than all neighbours.
Sping is totally mud free (you can tell I hate mud)!
Lots of leaf clean-up, easy with a blower.
Poop pick-up-I lose some gravel with each poop!!
Hey, but if loose poop (cow pie style) I hose 'er down!
We do keep flip-flops at the backdoor as barefeet can be a bit tough!
_________________
Megan

my Boo · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:48 am Post subject:

GREAT thread!! I'm hoping to make our garden dog-friendly so this is perfect! Laughing

I totally agree with you guys, dog-friendly gardens and yards are great! Why work against the dog's natural instincts when you can accomodate them? Everyone wins in the end.

I heard that the book "Dog Friendly Gardens, Garden Friendly Dogs" is good. I haven't read it, but I ordered a copy last week, so it should arrive soon. Anyone read it?

I liked this tip that I read on the web- If your dog runs the fence perimeter a lot, plant things a foot or two away from the fence. That way they can continue "patrolling" and your plants won't get trampled.
And apparently dogs like to munch on catnip, and also wheatgrass, oatgrass, and peppermint. Lavender, pampas grass, and bamboo are supposed to be dog-friendly too.
I'm hoping to make Boo a "digging spot"- aka a sunken wading pool filled with sand. But my mom's not so keen on the idea. Rolling Eyes

There's a dog-friendly educational garden in Oregon that sounds awesome. Wish we could visit. Here's a video about it: http://www.weshow.com/uk/p/14260/pet_friendly_garden

Boo loves to munch on the plants in our patio containers, so i decided to replace them with non-toxics: romaine lettuce, flat leaf parsley, dill, and cilantro. (Pom-pom flowers are temporary, not sure if they're edible.)

What does Boo think of the new "munchable" container gardens? He ignores them completely. Confused

Oh well.

Vanessa- that High Country Gardens place looks awesome! Thanks for the link!
Megan- can you post a photo of your yard? I can't picture it in my mind. Does it look kinda like a Zen garden?

MaxandMe · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:16 am Post subject:

great idea and it looks great!!

here's a couple of other ways i've done container gardening to-date

Buy antique chairs for $5 becasue the seat is missing

These i made from columns for a house....just painted and planted
there's also a metal arbor i put out in late spring for climbing vines and roses. I change the planting yearly in the columnar pots.
and also mulch the whole area

here's Morning Light Ornamental Grass grows like a fountain, clumps only doens't spread
and the white blooms are the shrub summer sweet attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
When sun passes thru it it's beautfiul and birds will make their nests in it some years.

This is how the growth starts out

_________________
Annmarie, Max,& Peanut
Forum BLOG ARTICLE LINK http://blog.labradoodle-dogs.net/

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France

MaxandMe · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:21 am Post subject:

OH if anyone wants a gorgeous fast growing tropical vine that
has beautiful huge trumpet like flowers

Mandevilla Vines are awesome and can take the HEAT well.
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Annmarie, Max,& Peanut
Forum BLOG ARTICLE LINK http://blog.labradoodle-dogs.net/

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France

sdrudge · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:44 pm Post subject:

love the pictures of the flowers. I am finally seeing things coming up. I really can't wait to start getting my flowers in order.
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Samantha, Cacao and Beau

sandy · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject:

Last year Nicky destroyed most of what I'd planted in the backyard. He bit blossoms off irises and pulled up the plants. The 10 different hostas I planted are all gone. He dug up lots of bulbs and munched on them. I was very unhappy and discouraged!

So far this year the remaining plants haven't been destroyed. I hope he'll leave them alone. If so, I'll plant more, but I don't like spending money on "dog salad."
_________________
Sandy
and Nicky the Doodle

annieG · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 9:00 pm Post subject:

Fences...the only way to garden at our house Wink

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AnnieG & Tanner

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

my Boo · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 4:03 am Post subject:

Lovely gardens everyone! Boo would love the Morning Light grass (he likes to "Indiana Jones" his way thru big grasses).

AnnieG, is that big grass a Miscanthus sinensis? I love the striping. And is that fencing...x-pens? Very Happy

MaxandMe · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:44 am Post subject:

OH Annie, i love and forgot about that Russian SAGE!!!
also there's a dwarf Russian sage available now for those with smaller spaces.
Beautiful Gardens annie!!
and dogs do NOT go for Russian sage either cause its aromatic Wink

_________________
Annmarie, Max,& Peanut
Forum BLOG ARTICLE LINK http://blog.labradoodle-dogs.net/

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France

lmtoth2 · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 8:04 am Post subject:

Our plants in the back are extremely minimal. However I planted some bulbs last year...Dex ate most of the flowers...however they are just coming up and blooming now and so far so good. It could be a maturity issue. We also have vines over an arbor and last year he munched on them - so far this year he has left them alone. Kirby is enjoying munching on grass though (hmmm...I bet my husband taught him that one to get out of mowing).
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Leslie M

sessa35 · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 8:25 am Post subject:

BEAUTIFUL GARDENS ANNMARIE AND ANNIEG!!

THANKS FOR SHARING INSPIRING PHOTOS!

Annie--the fencing looks great and I ask the same question, what kind is it?

soo...so you can see what we're working with.. Rolling Eyes

here's a before/after of our yard from 06-07.

here's an update as of last summer...notice the paths left for Mija to run and up and down...these are now covered in small gravel...I'll post that update later today..

I lost several of the plantings from last summer...both butterfly bushes bit the dust from dogs trampling on them--they were just too small...I thought for sure the daylillies would go under from all the dogs peeing on them but nope, they are peeking through!! Laughing

(p.s. thankfully too, Mija doesn't eat any of my plantings!)
I'm off to the nursery today to find more plants....we've gotten a few light dustings of snow in the last two nights so I'm still a little hesitant to go crazy with planting just yet... Wink

THANKS TO ALL participating on this thread!
I knew I could find plant people among the doodle people too!!
Laughing

_________________
REASON #50, "Why I love my doodle so": My doodle teaches ME new things EVERY day!

sessa35 · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 8:49 am Post subject:

One last one...

since I can't brag or show pictures of my own veggie garden yet...
I CAN brag on my parent's organic efforts...and believe me, it ain't easy gardening in high altitude desert!

yummy lettuces!!
they can eat all their daily veggie intake fresh from their garden pretty much 3/4 of the year...the last 1/4 eats those veggies that were canned the summer/fall before hand...not bad!! Very Happy

_________________
REASON #50, "Why I love my doodle so": My doodle teaches ME new things EVERY day!

Tink · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 9:34 am Post subject:

I envy anyone who has such pretty gardens. I love an english cottage style garden, but it take so long to get it really going well on an acre sized lot such as ours. It takes a lot of work, planning, money and plants to really make an impact. lol

I've been adding trees and perennials each year we've been here 2 summers so far but it still looks scattered because the space is so large. I think I need to divide it up better so I can have distinct areas and eventually it might all come together.

With 2 litters coming, I wonder how much time I'm going to have to work on the yard this summer. So I might have to live vicariously through all of you with green thumbs. So please keep the pictures coming! I adore a nicely landscaped lawn.
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