Dogs and lush gardens aren’t mutually exclusive
By Pet Connection Staff
February 3, 2010
Think you can’t have dogs and a great garden, too? Think again. From Gina Spadafori in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:
Every year more of my yard gets turned over to sustainable projects, from my pet chickens and their fresh eggs to an ever-growing collection of raised beds and containers planted with the veggies I love — and some flowers, too.
This year, I’m taking back a huge swath of lawn, fencing it off and having a contractor really go to town, doubling the size of my garden and putting in drip irrigation and mulched paths to save on weeding and water. The way I’m planning it, my yard will be beautiful and productive — and I’m doing this while continuing to share my life with my dogs.
And you can, too. That’s because dogs and lush gardens — whether productive or decorative — aren’t mutually exclusive.
You can’t just plant whatever you want where you want it and throw a bored, unsupervised dog into the mix. Instead, plan your yard to take your dog into account, and mind your dog’s needs to get him to leave the plants alone.
Gina’s gardening secrets are here!
From Dr. Marty Becker, a reminder that a cancer diagnosis doesn’t have to mean a death sentence for your pet:
The word “cancer” used to be pretty much synonymous with “euthanasia” in veterinary medicine.
That has changed a great deal in recent years. Today, there’s a wide range of options, everything from hospice care aimed at pain-management to the most aggressive surgical, chemo and radiation therapies. The outcome? Cures for some pets, long-term remissions for others and, for the rest, a good quality of life for a little extra time.
The earlier cancer is diagnosed, the better. Know these signs, and have your pet checked out when you observe them:
- asymmetrical swelling
- lumps and bumps
- a wound that doesn’t heal
- unexplained weight loss
- lameness that can’t be attributed to injury
- an older pet who’s not thriving
- unexplained vomiting or diarrhea
Keeping pets at proper weight and limiting or avoiding a pet’s exposure to such risks as secondhand smoke is also recommended. For more information, talk to your pet’s veterinarian.
If you haven’t ever dealt with cancer in a pet, consider yourself lucky. And then consider donating to research for pet health, such as through the Morris Animal Foundation, Winn Feline or the AKC Canine Health Foundation. A good online reference site is the Pet Cancer Center.
Want more? Read the entire Pet Connection for this week, or see it exactly as we send it to our client newspapers here (PDF).
Raised beds, deck rail boxes and hanging planters are a great way to avoid doggy problems.
I’ve planted a lot of wild things like pumpkin, peas, zucchini and various herbs in my big rock garden (they can take a fair bit of traffic and still thrive) and replaced nearly all the shrubbery around the house with fruits and herbs. Not only do we get food from them - but they’re a lot less work than the shrubs and flowers were! And they’re pretty too.
I’ve been combing craigslist for deals on used stock tanks. I plan to use them as raised planter beds. Dog proof, easy to maintain - and I won’t need to tear up any of my precious yard (not lawn!) to put them in.
Comment by Janeen — February 3, 2010 @ 3:17 pm
Stock tanks rock! I’m having a large part of my yard ripped apart for gardens, an area between the dog yard and chicken yard. I’m working with a landscape contractor whose specialty is reclaimed and recycled material. We’re looking for all kinds of crap to use in an arty, useful way.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — February 3, 2010 @ 4:11 pm