Pet friendly garden ideas
While gardens really come alive in summer, pet owners know they’re loved year-round. Whether it’s cats climbing in the hedges or dogs sniffing this year’s blooms, gardens are often well explored by our furry friends.
Your garden can be an extension of your home so why not give it some love this year?
Plant brightly coloured flowers to create areas of interest in your garden and give your outdoor space a whole new style. Adding sections of tall grass will help make sure your pets have a cool place to relax when the temperatures increase. Finish with borders or planters filled with seasonal plants to really make your garden come alive.
But what flowers, bushes, shrubs and other greenery should you be planting?
Check out our pet safe plant and garden ideas below to create a risk-free outdoor space you and your furry friends can enjoy.
Cat safe plants
Cats love to prowl through bushes, scale tall fences and roll around the grass. So, it’s vital your garden is safe for them too.
If you’re looking for a few feline friendly plants to complement your garden, you’ve come to the right place. Here are a few of our favourite cat safe plants.
Scented geraniums
There’s nothing better than a fresh-smelling garden. That’s why pet safe, scented-leaf geraniums are essential in your outdoor space.
Place them beside a bench or garden swing in direct sunlight, so you and your cat can soak up those rose, peppermint, apple or citrus scents (yes, the leaves really can smell like any of these).
Michaelmas daisies
A late bloomer, Michaelmas daisies – or asters – usually flower from the late-summer to mid-autumn months. Their charming lavender-blue hue adds a gentle splash of colour to any border. And at just under a metre tall, they provide the perfect cover for prowling kittens.
Michaelmas daises are disease-resistant too. That means you don’t have to protect them with pesticides – making your garden even safer for pets.
Fancy adding a splash of colour inside your home as well? Take a few cuttings when your daisies start to bloom and display these fresh cut, pet friendly flowers indoors.
Dog safe plants
Many plants are completely safe for dogs, making it easy for you to create an eye-catching, non-toxic garden. You can choose several species to form a stimulating environment for your pooches.
Add raised beds, paved paths and box hedges to prevent your dogs from frolicking in the flower beds or digging up any bulbs. Here are some of our favourite dog safe plants.
Snapdragon
Brighten your borders with a rainbow of snapdragons. These easy-to-grow plants come in a range of heights and shades – from vivid pinks and purples to pastel orange and pure white.
Better yet, snapdragons are a non-toxic plant for dogs and cats to enjoy as well. They can even be potted and taken indoors to make the perfect pet friendly house plant.
Roses
You can’t go wrong with a rose bush. Velvet petals, romantic hues and a timeless fragrance make roses a classic floral in any English garden. And they’re pet safe too – even the rose hips they produce are non-toxic for dogs!
Choose a miniature style to line the outside of your windowsills and patio or create a trellis of winding roses. Once they are flowering, you can even cut a few stems to display your home-grown bunch of roses indoors.
Just watch out for any thorns, especially if your dog likes to chew on the branches.
Sunflowers
A sunny yellow sunflower is completely safe for your furry companion. Towering up to 16 feet, a few swaying sunflowers are sure to entertain your dogs in the summer.
Sow your seeds in late spring – after the last frost. And make sure you put them in the path of direct sunlight, ideally near a fence to protect them from strong winds.
With warmer days on the horizon, it’s time to get your garden looking its best for summer. Whether you add a few florals or upgrade your vegetable patch, these pet safe plants will help make sure your cats and dogs can roam to their heart’s content. Start creating your pet friendly garden today.