Picture this — spring hath sprung, and you’ve finished your tedious cleaning jobs. As the days are getting longer and warmer, you grab sun cream and spend your weekend giving the garden some much deserved TLC.
When shopping for plants, remember to consider whether the new garden addition will be pet friendly. Some plants contain toxins that can cause several problems for dogs, such as diarrhea or vomiting.
Thankfully, there’s still plenty of beautiful greenery to choose from. Experts at tails.com have created a guide to garden plants that won’t harm your dog. From floral arrangements to evergreen shrubs, here are the most pup-friendly plants.
Snapdragons (Antirrhinums)
Sow: March | Plant: May-June | Flowers: June-October
Antirrhinums are cheerful annual plants guaranteed to brighten up your garden with their wide range of colors and heights.
Commonly known as snapdragons, they are easy to grow. As old-fashioned cottage garden plants, they’re beloved by children and bees.
Attractive to wildlife, snapdragons have a long flowering period, from June until October. If you have tall snapdragons in your garden, you can be bring them into your home and pop them into a vase with water — they last well over a week in water.
Asters (Michaelmas Daisies )
Sow: March-April | Plant: March-May | Flowers: July-October
There’s a Michaelmas daisy, also known as asters, to suit every garden — they come in shades of white, blue, purple and pink. They’re extremely popular with bees and butterflies, too.
When adding this gorgeous plant to your garden, grow it in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade and cut back after flowering.
Camellias
Plant: Oct-November | Flowers: October-April | Prune: April-May
Camellias is a popular evergreen shrub that produces a beautiful display of flowers during late winter and early spring, when little else is in flower in the garden. There are thousands of varieties to choose from, with white, pink or red flowers. When they’re not flowering, their shiny evergreen leaves look great all year round.
Soil conditions are the utmost important factor when planting Camellias. They need to grow in acidic soil. If you don’t have this type of soil in your garden, you can opt for growing them in plant pots.
Camellias do best in a partially shaded spot in your garden, sheltered from the wind.
Sunflowers
Sow: March-May | Plant: April-June | Flowers: June-September
Sunflowers are one of the most popular flowers. Did you know they also come in rusty red, green and white flowering forms, not just the iconic yellow?
Depending on the sunflower, it can take 11-18 weeks to flower from seed sowing.
A tip from tails.com: When sowing sunflower seeds, sow some every couple of weeks — giving youl have a constant supply of cheerful sunflowers throughout summer.
TOP TIP
If your pup is known for misbehaving in the garden and digging up holes where it shouldn’t be, why not create different routes through the garden. Adding in clearly defined routes through the garden will keep your four-legged friend away from your lovely new plants. If your pooch thinks it’s a professional digger, create a designated digging or play areas to keep your dog stimulated. Try adding different textures that can be stimulating underfoot, and plants such as salix and ornamental grasses dance and sway, providing entertainment.
If the plants mentioned above don’t take your fancy, other dog-friendly plants include Elaeagnus, impatiens, Centaurea (cornflower) and calendulas. Ranging from hedge plants to floral additions, your garden will look blooming lovely all year round.
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