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Sep 12, 2012
Dog Friendly Landscaping
From The Magazine
(page 1 of 2)
There’s nothing better than spending quality time outdoors with your family, including your dog. Follow these tips to create a backyard oasis that keeps your entire family happy, healthy, and sound.
Mulch
You’ve probably received a chain e-mail once or twice touting the dangers of Cocoa Mulch in your yard. Most often times we reject these warnings as urban myths or legends, but the truth here is this: the warning is true. Cocoa Mulch, commonly sold at many big box stores and garden supply stores, can be extremely toxic to your dog if ingested in large quantities. The best course of action? Avoid it completely. Instead, opt for organic mulch that comes from a reliable local source. If your dog has a tendency to chew, go for a more finely-shredded mulch than one with large chunks. Cedar mulch is a natural insect repellant. However, essential oils contained in such mulches can cause irritation if ingested in large amounts, so never leave your dog unattended near mulched areas of your yard, or consider a small fence or barrier.
Grass
Everyone loves having a lush, green lawn to enjoy, but after all of your hard work, what do you do when pesky yellow patches dot your lush landscape? These urine stains on lawns come from the pH of your dog’s urine. We don’t recommend using over-the-counter medications as these can adversely affect your dog’s system and lead to urine crystals. The problem here is likely in their diet. Consider changing their food to a more natural diet and you’re likely to see some sort of improvement. The best solution is to train them to use a specific area of your yard when they need to go the bathroom.
There are also many alternatives to a traditional grass lawn. Recently we’ve seen beautiful clover lawns and synthetic grasses as attractive options to choose from. For those who like low-maintenance, consider investing in an artificial turf for your yard. These environmentally-friendly alternatives to natural grass are gaining in popularity and have specific traits that make them a great choice for dog-friendly yards. You may also want to investigate xeriscaping, or creating a landscape that is designed to minimize the need for additional irrigation. Xeriscaping often includes using flat stones or crushed granite/pebbles to create walkways along with areas of plants and grasses that are native to your area, and can naturally withstand the environmental conditions. Opting for landscaping such as xeriscaping has many benefits: in addition to saving the environment by not depleting it of one if it’s most valuable resources (water), you’ll have less to worry about without the need to maintain a lawn—providing you with much more time spent enjoying your yard with your pooch!
Continue reading for information on pools, plants, and fencing!
