Our Ultimate Guide to Creating a Pet Friendly Garden

There is nothing like relaxing in your beautiful garden with your furry friend. However, there are some hidden dangers for our pets lurking in our sheds, flower beds and soil.

To help you keep your animals safe here is our guide to creating a pet-friendly garden.

Choose Pet-Safe Plants

Unfortunately, many common garden and household plants are toxic to our dogs, cats and small animals. As lovely as some of these blooms are, it isn’t worth the risk of having them in the garden.

Here are some of the most well-known toxic plants:

• Daffodils- this is one to watch out for during Spring. Read our Spring Safety Walking Guide.
• Azalea
• Crocuses
• Ivy
• Rhubarb
• Snowdrops
• Tulip
• Iris & Gladioli
• Hyacinth
• Geranium
• Ragwort
• Mistletoe
• Holly
• Oak
• Horse Chestnut

For more help with toxic plants, read our in-depth poisonous plants guide.

Don’t worry, we aren’t trying to zap all the colour out of your garden.

Plants like Lavender, Snapdragons, Sunflowers, Pansies, Cornflowers, Violets, Honeysuckle, Michaelmas daisies and Petunias are perfectly safe (and beautiful too!).

Secure Unsafe Areas

Our curious cats and dogs are notorious for getting into places they are not supposed to. Securing certain hazardous areas will ensure they stay safe.

If you have a compost bin or caddy, ensure it is not accessible to your pets. Toxic mould can grow in compost and sometimes the items thrown in are dangerous, such as bones, grapes, onions and garlic.

Sheds, garages and greenhouses might not seem like particularly dangerous places for your pets. However, those naughty dogs that want to explore, or cats seeking a warm place to sleep could end up putting themselves in danger.

Our sheds and greenhouses often get very warm and lack proper ventilation. There is a huge risk of heatstroke for any pet spending time in there and cats are especially likely to sneak in.

Read our blog on Preventing Heatstroke in Cats.

Say No to Chemicals!

Weed killers can be dangerous to your pets and the wildlife in your garden. Instead focus on the natural alternatives, such as encouraging predatory insects, using homemade treatments and heat treatments.

For more information on how to control pests in your garden the safe way, check out this guide from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Be wary of Mulch

Cocoa shell mulch is very common in gardens (and often used in children’s playgrounds too). The trouble with this form of mulch is it comes from the chocolate industry.

Chocolate or more specifically cocoa is toxic to our pets, so eating your mulch and bark could result in sickness and a vet visit.

Be Aware of Hay Fever

The plague of the spring and summer doesn’t just affect us, it sadly impacts our dogs and cats too. They can be allergic to different types of pollen, trees, grass and weeds.

If your furry friend suffers from frequent sore skin, red itchy eyes and sneezing this could well be the sign of a pollen allergy.

Having long grass or an abundance of weeds in your garden isn’t advised if your pet is spending lots of time there. So, if they are afflicted with hay fever try to eliminate that source of irritation.

Learn more about Dog Hay Fever.

Learn more about Cat Hay Fever.

Keep Water Sources Safe

Our dogs and cats can sometimes be guilty of ignoring their clean fresh water inside for a lovely gulp out of the pond.

It can be difficult to prevent them from doing this, so instead focus on making sure that water is safer for them to drink. Avoid using chemicals in your pond or any water feature, to prevent accidental ingestion.

Keep some Areas Wild

We believe pets and wildlife can happily enjoy the same spaces, so it is worth thinking about what you can do for other garden visitors.

One easy way to encourage wildlife such as bees and butterflies is to keep some areas of the garden wilder. Keep a section of grass overgrown (unless your pet has hay fever) and leave some of those weeds to encourage pollinators.

If you want to encourage birds into your garden, it’s important to provide them with the very best wild bird food. Our feathered friends are very good at picking out the most energy-giving foods, so give them a diet that’s worth stopping by.

Enjoy spending time safely in your garden!