PAW-FECT
I’m a gardening pro & have won gold at the Chelsea Flower show – 6 savvy tricks that’ll transform your garden for summer
Scroll down to see his surprising trick for making your outdoor space "quiet"
A PROFESSIONAL gardener has revealed six savvy tricks that will transform your garden for summer.
Adam Woolcott, who has won gold at the Chelsea Flower show, says your pets will even be in favour of the hacks which will transform your outdoor space.
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And as a pet owner himself, Adam has even been able to put his top tips to the test - which means he is sure his work is liked.
Adam, a gardening expert for For Webb Garden Power, says: “My own miniature Dachshunds, Jack and Henry, have been integral members of our family.
“Through the years, I've dedicated myself to crafting gardens that cater to our four-legged friends.
"From working with private clients to designing RHS Show gardens for national animal charities, my goal has always been to strike the perfect balance between creating a beautiful outdoor space for us and providing a safe and stimulating environment for our beloved pets to enjoy.”
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Here, Adam, who has over 30 years of experience as a professional gardener, reveals his savvy top tips to get your garden ready for summer.
Keep Your Garden Secure
Certainly, with dogs in mind, you’ll need to check your fences, hedges or walls and make sure there’s no space for them to get out.
Check for any gaps and fill them in with wire or bits of wood.
This is certainly a piece of mind for you, especially if you aren’t always with them in the garden.
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If you are lucky enough to have a large space, you might be able to fence off a bit of it to keep your pets only in one part of the garden and keep the remaining bit pet-free.
That way, if you have energetic pets, they won’t dig up your prize flowers or vegetables.
This was something I did in my garden when my dogs were puppies.
Because they were only sausage dogs a low picket fence did the trick, but your solution will depend on your situation, this won’t work for large energetic dogs.
Plant Choices
This is something you do need to think about.
Some plants are toxic to animals, such as foxgloves, rhododendrons, yew, monk’s hood, nightshade, oleanders and even Ivy and others are less poisonous but still may cause them some mild irritation.
The Dog’s Trust has a comprehensive list of plants dangerous to dogs, this was invaluable whilst we were planting up our 2021 RHS Chelsea Garden for Guide Dogs.
Through the years, I've dedicated myself to crafting gardens that cater to our four-legged friends
Adam Woolcott
It’s worth doing some research to ensure you create the safest place for them.
With regards to plant choice, it’s also an idea to think about having trees or scratching posts in the garden for cats to enjoy or even plants with nice smells such as Nepeta, cats go wild for it.
Keep An Area of Lawn Free for Your Pets
Real lawns, as opposed to artificial turf, are particularly important for animals, especially if you have rabbits and guinea pigs and their hutches have an outside run attached to them.
Grass is a great place for animals to exercise and burn off energy and the most pet-friendly and paw-friendly surface you’ll have in the garden so try to keep as much of it as possible.
If you do have an artificial lawn, bear in mind that it can get incredibly hot on a very hot day.
Keep an eye on it and if it does get too hot keep the animals cool inside until it cools down or hose it down before letting your animals out.
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Create Shady and Quiet Spots
A shady area is important especially if you have a south-facing garden so that your pet can get out of the heat in the midday sun.
You can do this with trees, shrubs, tall plants or just a bit of shading.
It’s also worth thinking about creating a quiet corner out of the way of the patio so that cats can have somewhere to hide if they want some peace and quiet.
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Create Play Areas or Digging Spots
Again, if you have the room, you can create dedicated areas for your dogs to dig in an area of the garden that you’re not that fussed about.
We used to hide treats for our dogs to try and find, it gave them hours of fun.
A shady area is important especially if you have a south-facing garden so that your pet can get out of the heat in the midday sun
Adam Woolcott
If you do have the space, then it’s great to have an area for your dog to safely run around and exercise.
If you can, it’s also a good idea to have a shallow water feature or water bowl to keep them hydrated or let them cool down when they need to.
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Garden Chemicals and Garden Equipment
One last thing to remember is not to use garden chemicals such as weedkillers, slug pellets, detergents, and fertilisers whilst your animals are around.
It's also important to make sure any sharp garden tools are put away so there’s no possibility of them getting injured.
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