With temperatures finally beginning to creep up the thermostats, more and
more of you are finding yourselves outside in the garden/landscape. Over the
past week, I have received many emails concerning plants toxic to children
and pets. This week, I want to share information on that as well as touch on
ways to make the garden safer for both pets and children.
When designing a new landscape or reevaluating an older landscape, don't
forget to work in spaces especially for children such as: a sandbox, jungle
gym, and/or open grassy areas for football or net games like as volleyball
and badminton (not just for children). A sandbox or jungle gym can be tucked
into a corner or other small area. For jungle gym or other physical
activities a thick layer of shredded bark mulch on the ground will help to
reduce the impact of falls.
Introduce children to gardening and yard maintenance early on so that as
they develop, they gain an appreciation and respect for plants and the
landscape. These learning sessions are the perfect opportunity for teaching
them about plants and how they grow. This reduces the chances of children
ingesting any poisonous parts of plants.
For those with pets, work in an area for them to run and play. Gravel can
be irritating to their paws and hot in summer, so use shredded bark mulch
for this area which also works great for their potty areas as well. Place
dog houses in protected areas such as nearer the house/garage or tucked into
corners (great where there is a fence for additional protection). Sun and
wind protection are other points to keep in mind.
Be flexible. Some dogs just like to dig and no matter what, you can't keep
some plants. I've experienced this with my dogs. Steve and I replaced a
couple of small trees damaged by a freeze a few years ago with dynamite
crape myrtles. The next day, we came home to the plants dug up and dried
out. We had to replace with 2 more new plants. The following day, we came
home to them dug up and dried out, again. The dogs were scolded, of course,
but we didn't want to kill, yet, 2 more plants. So, we planted the newest
crape myrtles in large containers with a few annuals. It isn't what we
really wanted for the landscape, but, this is a spot on the outside of our
garden gate, so the container thing works fine. Planting in containers and
raised beds can be a good solution for keeping plants off the ground so that
they aren't dug up, time and time again.
Young and small plants are at risk of having dogs urinate on them, which if
allowed to continue, will kill the plants. Sprinkle cayenne pepper over the
area and around the base of the plants. I did this a few years ago when,
Zack, our goofy lab, decided he would see how long it would take to knock
off our tiny boxwoods lining the front walk. After watching the boxwoods
struggle for life, I began sprinkling the cayenne pepper around them. When
Zack would "visit" the boxwoods, he'd get a snout full of pepper and move
away. I did this over a couple of weeks and, finally, he left them alone.
Those poor plants, I didn't think they'd ever grow out of it, but they did.
Neighborhood cats can be a big problem. Two successful ways of keeping them
out of landscapes and gardens is to lay pine cones around the area or lay
sections of chicken wire, secure to ground and cover ever so lightly with
mulch. The pine cones, chicken wire or anything prickly will help to keep
them at bay.
Here is a short listing of plants that are safe to use around pets and
children:
Bamboo
Ornamental grasses
Crape Myrtles
Forsythia
Cat Mint
Chives
Lavender
Rosemary
Thyme
Heucheras
Sage
Herbs (many other varieties including annual varieties)
Sedum
Tulip poplar
This is just a short list of plants that can be planted safely in the
garden. The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals) has a great site with information on a listing of the 17 top toxic
plants to pets, great articles on pet care (dogs, cats and horses), and
animal poison control hotlines.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/17-common-poisonous-plants.html
Pawprints and Purrs, Inc is, also, a non-profit organization dedicated to
educating pet owners, preventing animal cruelty and pet abuse. Check out
their link to Wealth of Resources and you will find articles on everything
from pet ownership to traveling with your pet to alternative medicines for
pets. The specific links here are to listings of toxic plants and the second
link to safe, non-toxic plants for the garden and landscape.
http://www.sniksnak.com/plants-toxic.html
http://www.sniksnak.com/plants.html
These lists are certainly not complete, but if you have a question about
whether or not a specific plant is toxic or safe, always ask your pet's
veterinarian.
The following link is to a short article on backyard safety for kids. It
offers some good advice to keeping children safe and happy at play.
http://child-proofing-homes.suite101.com/article.cfm/backyard_safety_for_kid
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There are always more things to think about.
Brenda, Indy, Cydney and I are enjoying the compliments that all of you are
sending our way. Personally, I think I look especially cute with my baby,
Nick (okay, he's 21, but who's counting?).
Watch for our special Mother's Day Promotion that we will be launching over
the next week. There will be a special link to this on the homepage for you
to click on to access it. Purchase your mom's Mother's Day gift from
Greenwood Nursery, and we when we ship it to her, we will include a special
$10 gift certificate in the card for your mom at no additional cost to you.
Be sure to check out our Monthly Member's Value Page, Member's Only Spring
Bonus Plants, and Landscaping Ideas Slideshow.
Check out our Facebook page for even more landscaping and gardening tips.
Until next time...Cheryl
