Spending summer with your pets in your back yard? Master gardener Ciscoe Morris shares some helpful tips on how to keep your garden pet-friendly with a little help from his dog Izzy.
First off, it is important to understand which plants are actually poisonous for pets. Many common plants such as Hydrangeas and Clematis (leather flower) can be harmful to pets if ingested. Spurges, another common garden plant, have sap that can cause mouth sores if an animal chews on it.
Be sure to think about the texture of the plant as well. Barberry plants have prickers which are sharp and painful, and plants with long, pointy leaves can cause damage to pets if they are left at pet eye-height.
Ciscoe recommends moving these harmful plants into planters and pots making them less accessible for your animal. Be mindful of when to move these plants, if your pet sees you touching and adjusting a plant inside a pot they may become curious and start to nose around that planter.
Unable to move your plant due to its size? Bitter Apple spray is a safe, non-toxic spray that pets can't stand the taste of. The spray won't harm your plants or pets, so spray it on any plants you don't want your animals to ingest. One lick and they will stay away.
The most important thing: Spending time with your pets. Having plenty of chew toys lets you play with your pets while distracting them from all of the exciting plants in your backyard.
