How Does My Dog-Friendly Garden Grow?

by Karen Woodring


dog friendly gardenPhoto by Karen Woodring



The Goochland Animal Shelter Sensory Garden bed has been a challenge this year with heat and drought-like conditions. If this isn’t a testament to planting Native then I don’t know what is!

“Dog-friendly” is defined as ‘non-toxic to dogs’ according to the ASPCA. This allows Bunny the Beagle and FritterLoaf (to name a few current residents) to sniff, taste and touch the plants with abandon on their daily walkabouts. Engaging with nature through sniffing and investigation provides these Shelter dogs with positive experiences to build confidence and reduce “shelter stress”.

In 2025, I hope to add a solar powered water feature to the Garden and reintroduce Hummingbird Feeders to the planters by the Cat observation rooms. They surely do enjoy watching the birds zoom in and out! Goldfinches still prefer to drink water out of the Ant Moats on the Hummingbird feeders and then pluck at the sunflower petals leaving them quite lopsided!

Back to the Shelter garden bed. Lambs Ear, Nepeta, Coreopsis, Black Eyed Susan, Cannas and Echinacea are happy so far. I’ll add some additional Natives in the fall and spring. Let’s all root for rain!


Resources:
ASPCA
    https://www.aspca.org/.../animal-poison.../dogs-plant-list
    https://www.aspca.org/.../what-sensory-garden-and-how...






Sow You Know articles are weekly gardening tips written by
Goochland Powhatan Master Gardeners.

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