In our desire to develop the perfect get-away garden, we sometimes forget to pet-proof our design. Many everyday garden plants are toxic to dogs and cats, and may cause sever reactions in our pets. Since we want them to share the garden with us, it makes sense to take their vulnerabilities into account, to minimize the risks.

We do believe that our gardens are safe, and that most of the time, our pets don’t bother with noxious plants. When you’re not looking, however, you never know what they eat. It is sensible to understand the risk factor in your garden. In a recent walk around a garden with a space specially designed for the family’s leisurely (and severely pampered) cat, it was apparent that even with the best intentions, there is potential danger. This space had a nice place to lay, partly sunny, partly shady, with catmint growing nearby for snacking. Unfortunately, surrounding the area were hardy hibiscus (toxic), chives and giant allium (toxic), wisteria (toxic), euphorbia (toxic), and nearby, two types of tomatoes (toxic). In fact, the only plants not toxic in that supposedly cat-friendly area were astilbe and the catmint.

So, if your pet hasn’t eaten the poisonous plants so far, should you leave them there and take the risk, or rip them out? If you choose to take the risk with your pet, you may wish to familiarize yourself with typical symptoms that your pet has ingested a toxic plant, or talk to your vet.