Makin' Fido Earn His Keep!

Are you a privileged gardener? You are privileged if you have one or more garden assistants with you when you enjoy your garden activities. I don't mean a contracted landscaper, our children, grandchildren or enthusiastic neighbors, but rather your four-legged assistants. Not only do cats and dogs enhance the enjoyment of gardening activities, but they can also contribute to your work in practical ways. What a privilege.

Cats and dogs are known for their therapeutic qualities, just as gardening can relieve stress and help you relax. Having a beloved pet share your company while working outside merely adds to the sense of contentment as you pursue gardening activities.

Your pets can be beneficial in keeping other creatures out of flowerbeds and vegetable patches. They act as sentinels, chasing away animals bold enough to try to sneak in to your garden. In many cases, your pets will catch the critters and proudly bring them to you as gifts (to your chagrin, no doubt).

Many pets prefer to take on a supervisory role. They keep you company and watch carefully as you tend to your gardening. But some pets like to be on-the-spot assistants. Digging holes is a favorite task of many animals. While, potentially, you can get them to dig exactly where you need a hole, more often than not, they have their own ideas of landscape design.

Spreading mulch and scattering piles of leaves are other fun activities for your assistants. If these are jobs you prefer to do without their assistance, train them not to dig or to stay away from certain areas. You might need to create a distraction for them while you do a specific task.

If you are worried about pets destroying your garden by trampling plants or using it as a commode, there are ways to keep them out of landscaped areas. While training is the best option, fences, commercial deterrents (sprays or granules) and specific types of plantings can also aid in keeping vegetation upright and alive.

Just as pets can keep you safe, as gardeners you need to be responsible for your pets' safety. Be careful about the types of plants used in the landscape, and avoid anything that might be poisonous if ingested. Be aware of the potential for insect bites and stings. Pets can have reactions to these, too.

It is important to remember that the heat affects both pets and gardeners. Try to provide a shady retreat with good air circulation, and have plenty drinkable water available-for you and your whiskered assistant.

Gardening with your pets is a privilege and can be rewarding for all involved. You receive their company and help, and they get the companionship they crave -- and maybe the chance to dig in the dirt.

Source: thestarpress.com