Dog Friendly Gardens

Happy Spring! This year, for many reasons, I am taking up gardening! One of those reasons is to provide enrichment and healthy eating for my pups!

Herbs and flowers are great ways to provide scent related enrichment to your dogs, by giving them novel items to smell! And a vegetable garden can be used to provide variety to your dog’s diet and include healthier options for their food-related enrichment toys.

Not sure what to plant? Here are some dog safe vegetables, herbs and flowers!

Vegetables:

Let’s tackle the “easiest” category. What types of veggies are safe for your pup and easy to grow? The list is long! Broccoli, Cauliflower, Spinach, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes, Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, Green Beans, Pumpkins and more! Foods to avoid include tomatoes, onions, and garlic.

Herbs:

Most herbs are safe for your dog to sniff. Here are a few herbs that are also safe to eat! Basil, Oregano, Chamomile, Rosemary, Peppermint, and Thyme.

Flowers:

Here’s where the list gets tough! With so many varieties of plants for our area, there is a big list of safe and not safe. Here are some that are safe and that I am planting to help my vegetable garden. Snapdragons, Nasturtium, Marigolds, Sweet Alyssum and Impatiens.

For questions about whether your plants are safe for your dog friendly garden, you can refer to this list on the ASPCA website.

Happy Gardening!