Designing for Dogs!
Like a true lockdown cliché, we have become dog owners – with Luna the Springador quickly becoming a vital member of the team – boosting moral and increasing our step count (plus inspecting and sometimes ripping up plans she doesn’t approve of!) As we prepare to let her outdoors to play in the garden and spruce up the new studio with a few plants, we have become aware of just how many plants are harmful to our canine companions,
particularly when they are young and curiously exploring the world through smell and taste. There is of course, no shortage of information on the internet, but we found a comprehensive list by the Dog’s Trust the most useful. Here we provide a visual guide to some of the riskier plant varieties, some alternative plant choice, tips for protecting your garden, and suggestions for dog friendly landscapes.
Many common indoor and outdoor plants can be harmful to dogs if ingested - something that young puppies (particularly gun dog breeds) can be prone to as they begin to explore the world through their mouth. We have prepared a slide deck of many of these on instagram @_tapestrystudio labelled to show if they are either hazardous or potentially fatal, and which part of the plant (root or bulb, leaves, flower, branches / twigs, seeds / pips) is harmful.
There are several ways to mitigate the risk of dogs harming themselves in the garden, including by ingesting plants that are toxic or harmful:
Restricting access – keep your dog on a lead or within a pen until it is trained / no longer interested in harmful items
Close supervision – take care to ensure that young dogs in particular do not swallow stones used in landscaping or other small items that could become lodged in their throat or stomach
Secure any harmful chemicals used for gardening or home improvements
Remove plants that could be fatal
Be mindful of the potential for ticks that can carry Lyme’s disease in long grass & forested areas (a dog scarf / bandana might help in avoiding contact)
Keep them away from standing water until they have had all their vaccinations
Physically prevent access with fencing – this could be a temporary measure to keep dogs from mildly harmful plants until they are older and less likely to try and chew or swallow them
Remove bulbs and other plants from the garden and place them in pots, either moving them to a less accessible location or gifting to friends.
There Goes the Garden…
With a young and excitable puppy, a dog that is bored or in need of exercise, your garden can quickly become a scene of devastation! Certain breeds such as Scottish Terriers can be more prone to digging and some
dogs will develop a taste for garden vegetables like carrots, but if your dog is excessively digging it can help to get professional advice (we have found Dog Trainer Paul Lasky to be a great teacher of humans as well as dogs!)
Pet Friendly Places
Beyond the basics of needing a space that is secure and where they can relieve themselves, dogs enjoy a range of activities when outdoors, so consider incorporating places for them to:
Bask in the warm sun
Seek shade
Take cover from the rain or hide
Take in the view
Follow their nose
Play – by exploring, climbing, running or with games
Similar to humans, dogs can find certain fragrances calming, luckily many of these plants are also attractive and bee friendly:
Rock Rose (Cistus × purpureus)
Busy Lizzie (Impatiens walleriana)
Rosemary (Salvia Rosmarinus)
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Beechwood Blue’, ‘Hidcote’, Pretty Polly’ – noting that lavender contains linlool & linalyl acetate but in such small amounts that it isn’t included on most lists of hazards & toxins).
Mint (Mentha spp)
Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
Sweet Marjoram (Origanum marjorana)
Cedar (Thuja plicata 'Irish Gold’, Toona sinensis 'Flamingo', or Thuja occidentalis 'Golden Tuffet')
Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis' / Hinoki cypress, Cupressus macrocarpa 'Wilma' / Monterey cypress, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Pembury Blue', Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Minima Aurea' / Lawson's cypress)
Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
We hope you’ve found this short guide useful, but for expert advice on animal care please always consult a qualified Veterinary Surgeon, find your nearest here.
If you’d like Landscape Architecture advice to design a public space or private garden that both pets and people can enjoy, contact landscape@tapestry.studio.
endorsed by Luna,
Chief Wellness & Optimism Officer (WOOF),
Tapestry
