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"Help! My dog is destroying my garden!"
Summer 2008
We frequently get questions about how to manage the impact of pets on landscaping. Allan and I live with Cain and Mabel (a mastiff and spaniel). Because we experience the frustrations of dog-loving gardeners everywhere, I’ll share what I have learned through trial and error…..lots and lots of error.
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Pay attention to traffic patterns and be prepared to adjust your landscaping design
Cain loves to lounge on my daylilies and hosta, so I developed a plan. I partially buried pointy, fist-sized rocks (point side up), under the leaves of my favorite hosta to make his “bed” uncomfortable. It seemed like a brilliant idea and I roamed our entire property looking for the pointiest, nastiest-looking rocks I could find. I even tested the plan personally and was convinced my idea would work. The result? Cain didn’t care that his bed was lumpy and my favorite hosta still looked like a tossed salad. I relented and moved the plant to a protected area among boulders. It’s recovering nicely, thank you, and looks great nestled against the contrasting texture of the stone. In its place I’ve planted a quick growing, “indestructible” creeping sedum.
I also noticed that when we stood on our deck and threw his ball, Cain always took the same path through one of my planting areas. On each throw he trampled the exact same plant. So I moved the plant and replaced it with a funky turtle stepping stone. My efforts to adapt to Cain’s routine have resulted in a few random “naturalized” paths through my garden, accented with whimsical features I may not have considered without the canine help.
Lesson: It’s easier to move a plant than train a dog!
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Plant your lawn in stages.
It’s not easy to start a new lawn with dogs on your property. I’m a fan of hydroseeding, however a dog covered with blotches of green hydroseeding muck will quickly wear out his welcome. The old-school way of scattering seed and covering with straw didn’t work because straw is an irresistible medium for rolling and digging. What works:
~ choose sod because it gets established quickly if watered consistently
~ install it in a phased approach.
This is not the cheapest method, but it works well. On our property, for Phase I we sodded the front yard last November and kept the dogs out back until it was established. For phase 2 we did a patch of the back yard early this spring, allowing the dogs to roam in front or on the un-sodded part of the back yard. Phase 3, which is pending, will be to sod the final section of the back yard. By now, Phase I and II are firmly established and can tolerate romping.
NOTE: even though the sod may be settling well after a few weeks, be careful about letting your dogs play on your new lawn (especially large breeds). We learned the tough way that when a mastiff changes direction on an immature sod lawn, you’re left with Jurassic Park-sized divots. It could be 2-3 months before your sod can handle enthusiastic play.
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Other Tips:
- Water lawns and favored areas often to dilute salts and prevent brown spots. This frequent flushing can also help keep his favorite shrubs healthy.
- Helleri Holly and Pygmy Barberry seem to tolerate frequent dog “watering”; Birdsnest Spruce do not. I have no horticultural data to support this – it’s an observation after watching a 2nd spruce wither while the Heller and Barberry still look great. All 3 varieties are part of Cain’s morning watering routine.
- Raised beds and planters can help encourage your pet to stay on existing garden paths
- Use sturdy edging materials to help keep mulch in the planting beds
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Update 5/27/2010
It's with a heavy heart I share that we lost Cain to lymphoma. A dog of such massive size and personality certainly leaves a large empty space in our hearts and lives. I was always frustrated with Cain’s impact on our home landscaping. Now as I stare at his favorite place to lay, front and center at our entranceway where I failed to grow anything, I notice not only is that patch of ground lacking landscaping plants….it’s also the ONLY place on our property that is without a healthy growth of weeds. There’s a lesson in that for dog-loving gardeners about perspective and priorities. Cain chose that spot because he could watch for us to come home and be the first to welcome us back, bounding thru the daylilies and iris, making sure we knew every day that we were important to him. I would sacrifice very tree, shrub and perennial on our property for more time with our sweet boy.
Rest in peace Sir Cain Bucknut of Mohnton: 11/13/2005 – 5/21/2010
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