Pet Safe Gardens

I actually hadn't thought much about this when planting my gardens in the past. I have pets, but outside of one dog who ate a forcythia to the ground for some reason, our pets have really never messed with our plants. It didn't occur to me that this was an issue. But my niece is a vet tech and has a cat and dog and now, a new house. So when she was talking about planting around her new house, she said everthing had to be pet safe. As I started looking plants up, I realized that so many of the common plants that we all have in our yards are actually toxic is some form or another for cats and/or dogs. But having now compiled a list of easy to find common plants and shrubs that are safe for both cats and dogs, I'm sharing them with you! And since I like to keep it easy, all of these can be found at your local Lowes or Home Depot without having to go to a more expensive nursery or greenhouse. BUSHES -Roses- diciduous and hardy- but they will need to be cut back and cared for to keep bugs and disease off of them if you want them to be beautiful around your home -Forcythia- my mother loves them because she always said the first sign of spring is when the forcythia blooms show up- diciduous -Crepe Myrtle- diciduous and grow better the further south you get. We get them to grow up here in Pennsylvania- they just dont get as big and they dont stay green as long as they do in warmer climates Camelia- evergreen (big bonus!)- they are hit and miss as to wether I can find them at Lowes or not. Dark, glossy leaves, and depending on your climate zone, can bloom in the winter. PERENNIAL PLANTS -Coral Bells- Leafy mounding plants that come in a wide variety of colors -Asters- Usually a late summer/autumn blooming flower -Snapdragons- a fun colorful flower we have been playing with since we were little kids and liked to pluck the flower off and make it talk -Tickweed- reminiscent of a small, wild daisy -Grape Hyacinth- these small little purple and blue flowers almost look like a spreading ground cover, but they will bring color to any dark spot ANNUAL PLANTS -Marigolds -Zinnias -Petunias