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Gardening, For Dogs?

Expert Advice by Trug & Lettuce

Pet ownership, and specifically dog ownership, has soared during lockdown. While those restrictions are now being eased, recent research tells us that, as people return to their places of work, 22% of those who have spent more time working from home than before the lockdown are now worried about how their pets will cope as they return to their workplace.

We’re lucky – every day for us is a take-your-dog-towork day – but not everyone is as lucky as us, so we did some research about dogs and gardening, and found an article on line from the Battersea Dogs Home.

It seems that dogs, like humans, get huge benefits from having a garden, and the staff at Battersea have created a dog-friendly sensory garden to make every dog’s stay with them as pleasant as possible.

It seems that dogs love herbs! If your dog is in need of a little pick-meup, they’ll enjoy sniffing and chewing on mint or lemon balm.

They say that plain patches of grass aren’t the most exciting places for dogs and that, like us, they benefit greatly from enriching and stimulating natural environments. A bit of dog-friendly landscaping can help decrease boredom and encourage natural behaviours, so here are a few simple planting ideas for making your garden more attractive to your fourlegged friends.

It seems that dogs love herbs! If your dog is in need of a little pick-me-up, they’ll enjoy sniffing and chewing on mint or lemon balm. In moderation, these are both said to aid your dog’s digestion too. They will enjoy the herbs more when planted in clumps, so avoiding mixing as you could send your dog into a sensory overload! Easy to grow, these plants will die back in winter, but they are invasive, so you may want to plant them in a sunken plant pot to keep them under control (avoid English Pennyroyal as it is toxic to dogs).

Would you believe that dogs also like nepeta – or catmint? We used to have a couple of cats that would spend all day lazing around in the sun and nibbling our nepeta, and it seems that this member of the mint family is also popular with dogs.

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And finally, wheatgrass. This is super simple to grow and is packed full of nutrients.

Does your dog get too energised? Then try calming them down with some strategically planted lavender and rosemary. Your dog will love sniffing these potent herbs, and their aromas will leave them feeling calm and contented. Their woody, robust structure makes them hard-wearing, so they’re perfect for dogs that like to zoom around the garden. On top of that, they grow all year round in poor soil and survive well in a drought. You will also benefit from their heady scent and all the beautiful insects they’ll attract to your garden.

And finally, wheatgrass. This is super simple to grow and is packed full of nutrients. It’s been shown to help with dog digestion and can boost energy levels. Most dogs can’t help but have a munch when they find it, and if your dog doesn’t take to it, you can juice it and enjoy it yourself! While you’d normally grow it in seed trays during the winter and then plant in the ground in the summer, you can find wheatgrass seeds now and give it a go. All it needs is a nice bright spot in the garden.

This month we’re going to make a couple of small planters out of an old pallet, line them with some membrane, add some peat-free compost and plant them up with a selection of these lovely herbs for our mutts to enjoy! So give it a go: Gardening for your furry friends.

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