I have a special dog, Emily, that loves to be with me when I am outside. In the winter I don't mind if she runs willy-nilly through the gardens because most of my fragile plants are dormant. But now that Spring is here and things are beginning to sprout, I must be more diligent and try to save my plants as well as letting Em have a good run.
Let’s talk safety first. I can no longer set out metaldehyde as slug bait and expect the dog to leave it alone. Emily is intrigued by anything that smells different. She is not above sampling that new smell no matter what it may be. And, to my dismay, the most effective slug baits are highly toxic to pets. I will have to resort to other methods of repelling the Slimy Ones. I have tried handpicking the last few years because I hate using toxins on my garden anyway, but handpicking is just not as effective as a good ‘ole poison. Can't go to the wives’ tales of using tins of beer because Emily loves the smell of beer. So, I will continue with used coffee grounds which has worked well for me the last few years.
One important thing I realize is that dogs like to run the perimeters of the property, patrolling their kingdoms. Of course, this was obvious, but it took someone pointing it out to me before I got how silly it would be to plant precious things inside the perimeter of a border fence. Our entire yard is fenced, and in some instances, mature shrubs grow along that fence. In other portions, the fence is lined with blackberries for the birds to enjoy. But I know Em loves to run along the fence, checking out who is walking or driving down our street. I am not concerned about the mature shrubs or the blackberries, but I took to heart leaving perimeter space empty of anything special. Grass is planted there, but fine gravel would probably be even better and make less of a muddy mess.
Fresh water is a necessity. Emily will drink from puddles, but I prefer for her to use a clean bowl with fresh water. The first thing I do when we go outside is to refill that bowl.
Also, I am more aware of the toxicity of my plants now that Emily might eat them. She is particularly attracted to eating grasses, which are pretty much harmless. I didn’t realize how tasty Japanese forest grasses would be to a grazing dog, but those are her preference. Of course… they are the most expensive grasses I have. That dog has “good taste” (you should pardon the pun). So the Hakonechloa grasses go outside the front gate or in tall pots where I can enjoy them and Em can’t reach them.
But some plants, like Acontium (monkshood) and Euphorbia, can be dangerous when ingested so I have created some unique - and virtually free - fencing around certain clumps of plants. I spend lots of time on the Barview beaches scouting for nice pieces of driftwood that I use to construct a fence. A few strategically placed screws to join the pieces of driftwood, and voila! a fence. Not a long-term solution, I admit, but it will help in the short run to encourage Emily to stay on the paths instead of running through the garden. A bonus is that I happen to like the way driftwood fences lend a hint of the ocean to the garden. I do try to choose pieces that have been dried in the sun so most of the salt content has hopefully been evaporated. I also have to remember not to make the fence too high so I can effortlessly step over it.
All I need to do now is to spend some time in the garden with my dear Emily, training her to run along the driftwood fencing instead of jumping over it.
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