Your garden can benefit your pets in multiple ways. Just think about it. Your pets can eat from your garden. Although, sometimes they shouldn't. Some pets like to play in the garden. Of course, it's likely you don't want them to. There's something you can do about that. On the other hand, if you don't mind, you can invite pets to your garden.
Dogs love spinach .
At least my dog does. Yours might too. When I first got my dog, she came with a built in recipe for dog food. That recipe included spinach, lots and lots of spinach. My sister spoiled her dog rotten before giving her to me. So, I decided to continue that tradition. In my garden, I plant plenty of spinach for my adopted dog.
At the risk of being obvious, cats love catnip.
Duh! If you have a cat and you have a garden, there's no reason you shouldn't have catnip in your garden. Unless, of course, the neighbor cats frequent your yard. In which case, be prepared for a cat invasion. Catnip draws cats like magnets. You may not have any catnip left for your own cat, once the neighbor cats are done rolling in it. Plus, they may use your garden as a litter box. That's not a pleasant thought. Perhaps you can grow some catnip indoors on the windowsill.
Bunnies really do love carrots.
So do Guinea pigs and hamsters. They'll also gobble up dark green vegetables like there's no tomorrow. Most home gardens don't have alfalfa. Still, you can grow it. Your bunnies will love it dried. Guinea pigs adore lavender. Look closely next time you buy designer Guinea pig food. Yup, there's those lavender buds. Why not grow your own and save money?
Most pets can benefit from some kind of herb.
Your dog's breath might benefit from herbs like parsley and thyme. So might your own. Chamomile tea can be used to sooth your pet's irritated skin. Rosemary discourages fleas from biting dogs and cats. Simply steep bruised rosemary in olive oil for 24 hours. Soak a bandanna in the solution. Tie the bandanna around your pet's neck. Fleas will quickly jump ship. The rosemary will prevent future boarders as well.
Pets love nothing better than trampling all over your garden.
At least it seems like they do. They don't mean anything by it. They're just doing what comes naturally. So, sometimes gardening for your pets means finding ways to keep them out of your garden. You can do this with fences, invisible or otherwise. If you can't afford that, sprinkle a little Cayenne pepper around the garden border or plant a border of garlic or hot peppers.
This article was previously published on Yahoo! Voices by Jaipi Sixbear
Jaipi Sixbear is a website owner/manager, published author, blogger, multi-topic columnist at Examiner.com. and a regular contributor at Yahoo! Jaipi also ghost writes for several clients and coaches writers new to web writing and marketing.
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