Yesterday, I decided to tackle some chores around the house.  In particular, I decided that the gardens (both front and back) could use some work.  Maintaining a garden will keep any homeowner busy – having a dog who likes to run through the flower beds with reckless abandon presents an additional set of challenges.

Bella seems to have “new plant” radar… she walks outside and makes a beeline for the newest addition to the yard.  She will then run over it and flatten it, among other things.  What’s a pup devotee and flower fan to do?

Pet Project has posted some useful info about gardening with dogs (check out Part I and Part II for lots of tips).  In addition to the great tips, there are also links to other helpful articles about gardening with dogs (including two articles from HGTV about pet-proofing the garden and training your dog not to garden).

I particularly liked this piece from Sunset about how to create a dog-friendly garden.  The piece discusses some of the keys to a good “dogscape” in which your pet and your plants can coexist.  (As a bonus, there are also links to photos of dog-friendly gardens and additional tips.)  Pet Project also led me to this great site that contains a comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when you have both a dog and a garden.

However, Bella isn’t the only hazard to my garden these days – recently I came home to find that a mysterious creature had eaten my Hostas.  If you take a look at the photo at right… those jagged stems used to be home to some very nice leaves.  Now, they’re just a mess.

The primary suspect in the investigation is a deer.  Maybe even an entire deer gang.  (In my mental landscape, apparently deer are tough, like bikers.)

Deer love Hostas.  However, my Google-fu has revealed some natural, non-toxic ways to keep the deer from coming back for seconds.  I may try some of these ideas, although I’m not sure how well they will work as a long-term solution.  I’m also considering trying different plants out front (there are some out there that deer don’t view as appetizers).

When deciding what to plant in your backyard, don’t forget to think about pet safety in addition to aesthetics.  Check out the ASPCA’s list of toxic and non-toxic plants before you buy.  Happy gardening, fellow pup fans!