The idea of creating a beautiful, rich backyard garden that is also pet friendly is not as far-fetched as you may think. Though some dogs are prone to digging up plants and destroying flowers, with a little forethought and some training you can create a garden that is both gorgeous and fits your pet’s lifestyle. Nite Time Decor is here to offer a few tips and tricks to help you create a garden that both you and your pet can enjoy.
Create Pathways
Create garden pathways in your backyard to keep paws dry and out of your bushes. Paths give your pets a space to run around and a route to patrol your property. Create a low border around the walkway and your dog will eventually learn to stay on the path, which means there will no longer be dirty paw prints all throughout the house after playtime. Use smooth pebbles or cedar chips so they can comfortably walk along the path without irritating their paws. To illuminate pathways during the darker night hours, have path lights installed to help guide your pets across your yard.
Provide Shelter
Give your dog its very own space in the garden to relax. Dogs enjoy lying out in the sun, but they can overheat easily, so it’s important to provide them with a shaded area that they can cool off in and rest. Taking space into consideration, putting in a dog house or even pergola can help your dog establish its very own space.
Add Water
Provide your pets with a fresh water source close to your garden so they can quench their thirst after a productive playtime. A low-to-the-ground fountain or running pond is a great addition and can provide your pets with a cool drink as well as a place to splash around in.
Safety First
When making the final choice regarding which plants to populate your garden with, always consider your pet’s safety beforehand. Avoid any thorny and spiny plants such as roses or cacti, which can cause serious injury to their eyes and skin. Also, be sure to do some research and find out if any plants you have can be potentially poisonous to your pet. According to the CNN, common house plants such as azaleas, lilies and daffodils can all be seriously detrimental to your pet’s health.
Nature Calls
When your pets need to relieve themselves, oftentimes your freshly planted flower bed might seem like the perfect place to go. Sunset Magazine recommends designating an area in the corner of yard for as a bathroom area and covering this space with material that is easy to clean such as pea gravel and cedar chips. For male dogs who like to mark their territory, consider investing in a stylish driftwood post that will blend in with your garden and can be easily accessed.
Light Up Your Yard
When you let your pet run around your garden late at night, always be sure to keep a watchful eye on them so they don’t accidently trample any budding plants or chase after a critters or animals. In order to have a full range of visibility when it comes to your garden, consider installing path lights or other ground-level outdoor lighting to help you better see your pets no matter what time of night.
Nite Time Decor offers a variety of high-quality outdoor lighting fixtures perfect for any yard or garden. To find a trained contractor in your area that works with Nite Time Decor products, contact us today http://nitetimedecor.com/nite-time-decor–locations.html.