Are you having a hard time keeping your dog out of your flower beds? You’re not alone. We plant them; they dig them up. But, take heart; there are some creative ways to protect your decorative plants and still keep the outside of your home in style. Let me show you how.
Protective Fencing
Putting just about anything behind a fence can protect it. But, most fences cover up what they protect. What good would it be to have the most beautiful flowers if they were hidden behind wood, chain link or unsightly fencing materials?
Here’s a different spin on fencing in your prized plants. Install an invisible fence. Although invisible fencing is made to keep your dog on your property, it’s based on keeping them from crossing over an electronic line. Instead of installing the invisible fence to keep your dog in the yard, install it to keep them in a space that’s outside of your flower beds – just stake it out to your advantage.
Limited Access Spaces
Another way to keep your pet from getting to your plants is to set them in limited access spaces. For example, create an awkwardly spaced trough in front of your flower bed that doesn’t allow the dog good footing to access to your flowers. If they can’t get into a digging stance, it limits the damage they can do. Just remember to set the flowers back far enough so they can eat them either.
Elevated Flower Beds
An easy way to put your decorative florals out of harms way is to lift them up. This is especially effective for smaller dogs. Buy tall planters or use window boxes that sit high up and out your dog’s reach.
Plants that Deter Damage
There are some folks who believe certain plants can deter damage in the garden. Although obvious, plants with thorns or prickles, like rose bushes or a prickley pear cactus, could injure an animal as a method of deterring them. Personally, I would never use this method – especially if I knew the dog was eating plants from the garden. These plants could more than injure; they could cause internal bleeding and infection.
However, another plant called the Scardy Cat – a variety of Coleus – has been developed with a pungent odor that is said to keep dogs, cats and rabbits out of vegetable gardens, flower beds, sandboxes and children’s play areas. Moonshine Designs Nursery located in Milan, Illinois has posted a nice amount of information and pictures of this plant.
Pick one or more of these methods to protect your decorative flower beds or gardens and you may be able to keep landscaping beauty and the playful frolics of the family dog in the same space.