Blog by Sharon Leos
We added a puppy to our family last summer and now that she’s matured a bit, I actually have a tiny bit of time to do a few things that are not dog-centered, like write a Master Gardener blog… about puppies in the garden!
It’s been nearly ten years since we have had a puppy in our house, let alone the garden. Our garden is fairly dog-friendly. We have a designated “Potty Area” so our small turf grass area is clean for all species to enjoy. The vegetable garden is gated to prevent anyone from harvesting veggies and overindulging – we had a dog that adored tomatoes and would eat as many as he could!
Which brings me to our puppy. We thought we had sufficiently “puppy-proofed” the backyard. Plants were moved so she could not chew them and we put up temporary fencing to limit her access to ones we could not move. Her ability to find access to places we did not want her in was extraordinary! Wedge her little body between planters and the fence? No problem! Squeeze behind the shed? That’s fun! Wiggle through the plants and get into the beds behind the tree? Watch me go! Munch on potting soil? Yum! Her adventures were a daily challenge and our garden now has a variety of chicken wire-covered pots, hardware cloth and garden fencing in random places, big upside-down pots under trees, all sorts of random puppy excluders installed throughout the yard. It may look like a seriously disorganized gardener lives here, but it is necessary to keep her safe. And, it is only temporary!
If you are concerned about plants in your garden that may be harmful to your dog, cat, or livestock, the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has a great article with a list of some “pet safe” plants, a few of the most common “toxic plants,” and links to further resources.
https://magazine.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news-article-spring-2025/when-plants-and-animals-dont-mix
Banner photo by Sharon Leos
Did you know they also have a demonstration garden devoted to Toxic Plants on the UC Davis campus? View the list of plants they have on display and learn more about the garden on their website. https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/toxic-plant-garden