California Heartland Home Grown

Think it’s impossible to love you pets and your yard? Master Gardener, Kristine Hanson shows how you can love both by maintaining a beautiful yard while keeping your pets safe. Also, Dr Jyl Rubin, a local veterinarian discusses which plants can be most harmful to your dogs and cats.

Pet Friendly Gardens: Helpful Tips

* We all love Azaleas and Rhododendrons but these plants may be dangerous for our pets.
* Other things besides plants can make you pet sick like acorns and mushrooms.
* Slug and snail baits we know are bad for our pets. As an alternative, use rolled newspaper and put them in the garden at night. Pick them up in the morning. Scoop them into soapy water and they’re dead. So, don’t take chances with pesticides – rid insects using this pet friendly method.
* We all mulch our gardens, but it’s not always good for our dogs. Redwood mulches have bacteria, while cocoa mulches are cocoa, tasty to us and our pets – but can make them sick. Use shredded bark instead.
* There are plenty of great plants to put in your garden that look good and your puppy will love. All grasses, bamboo, crape myrtle, laurel and marigolds are safe for your pets.