Spring brings with it new life, beauty, and many opportunities to get out into nature and enjoy yourself.
This is especially true if you have a furry friend to enjoy it with. So how can we have the best of both worlds – a beautiful, lush garden, that is safe for and from our beloved four-legged friends?
Fencing & Space
Is your backyard secure? Do your pets have space that they can run around in or explore? Remember your pets need room to move, and the best way to do this is by offering them ample room to run. If you only have a small area, make sure you take your pets for nice long walks to ease some of that pent up energy. If your yard is big enough, consider even having a dedicated cat or dog run, specifically designed with your pet in mind, this is a great way to keep your pets and your plants safe.
Keep things out of Reach.
Be mindful of items around your garden, including children’s toys, gardening tools, shears, fertilisers, chemicals, and other miscellaneous items. Accidents can happen, so to reduce the potential of harm befalling your pet, do your best, to keep your backyard tidy.
If you have chemicals, fertilisers, and tools, keep them locked in a shed, and out of reach of your pets.
If you have plants that you really don’t want to get trampled, keep them behind fences or use raised garden beds to keep them protected. This is a good idea, especially for small saplings that can easily be stepped on, your pet doesn’t know the difference, so instead of getting angry at them, do some preparation and keep them separate.
Go Organic
Organic fertlisiers, chemicals, and pesticides that come in a crumble form make it harder for your dogs, chickens, or cats to eat. There are plenty of organic alternatives to combat pests and diseases or to stimulate plant growth, which will not harm your pet, should they ingest it.
When using herbicides and insecticides it’s important to take notice of the withholding periods before it’s safe for your pet to come back into the yard. Also remember that although the withholding period has passed this also makes the dying weeds and pests more palatable for pets, so keep an eye out to make sure your pets don’t go eating these little nasties.
Avoid Harmful Plants
There are many plants that can be harmful for your pet when eaten, so if your pet is curious and likes to chew, then you should be mindful of the plants you keep in your garden.
Stay tuned later this month as we prepare you a list of the best pet-friendly plants in our blog “18 Pet-friendly Plants for your Home and Garden”.
Or check in store, our friendly team will be able to help you find the best range of pet-friendly plants to keep your pets safe this spring.
Training
Train your pets, use positive reinforcement to keep them out of the areas you don’t want them to go, and away from what you don’t want them to eat. This includes digging. If your pet is especially persistent, then you may have to give them a special area in your garden where they can do this.
Shade & Protection
Does your pet have somewhere in your yard that is theirs, that they can go to for safety or shelter. Offer your pet its own sleeping area, that is protected from the weather, including damaging winds, rain, and the summer heat, and ensure they have access to plenty of fresh clean water.
The backyard is our pride and joy, but we also need to remember it is our pet’s space as well. They love to sniff, lick, and explore every new smell, addition, and plant that comes into the yard. So it’s important when taking care of our backyard we have our pets in mind.
Spring is the perfect time to get out in the backyard and get it looking stunning and safe for your fluffy friends.
Happy Gardening from Nicholas and the team at Capalaba Produce.
