Chemical-Free Gardening

In my neck of the woods—that’s northern New Jersey—Mother’s Day tends to be the start of planting season. Our local gardening club sells a wide array of plants and vegetables, and shopping there has become a ritual.

I’m new to gardening. I took gardening classes when I was a kid at the Bronx Botanical Gardens. Every Saturday in the spring, my best friend and I would walk the three miles from our homes to the gardening program. Throughout the summer, when school was out, we came home with bags of freshly grown vegetables.

For a city kid, it was wonderful. My family liked it too. We ate fresh chemical-free veggies throughout the summer.

That was a long time ago. I’ve lived in Manhattan for several years, and didn’t garden. So, when we moved here, I thought my 30×30 foot yard was huge. It is compared to NYC standards! About four years ago, I reacquainted myself with gardening.

Being an animal lover (I’m sure you were wondering what is the connection and when was I going to mention animals), I don’t use chemicals.  My town is small with lots of dogs passing by my front yard, and lots of birds and insects in the front and back yards.

Identifying Plants that are Toxic to Pets

I’m fortunate to have the local garden club guide me on my selection of safe plants. I didn’t know that the leaves and buds of a hydrangea can cause irritation and inflammation of the digestive tract, diarrhea, and bloody stool, or that the bulbs, leaves, and flowers from hyacinth can cause vomiting and diarrhea. It’s usually not fatal, but no one wants their dogs to have any discomfort.

If you don’t have a local gardening club to ask, check out the ASPCA’s list of Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants for dogs, cats, and horses.

Landscaping

I recently read that cocoa mulch, which is used in some gardens, contains methylxanthine–a toxic chemical. Just like chocolate, cocoa mulch, smells yummy to some cats and dogs.  I would avoid using cocoa mulch because of the methylxanthines in it.  Low doses can cause gastrointestinal pain and higher doses can cause muscle tremors, seizures, or death.

Cedar mulch is a good alternative because it’s not palatable to dogs, cats, or horses, and it repels insects.  Cedar, however, is toxic to guinea pigs and rabbits.

Enjoy the Outdoors

Warmer weather means more time outdoors with your dogs.  If you are out hiking and know that your dog will eat the local flora, keep him on a leash. And don’t forget that short haired dogs with fair colored coats can get sunburn. You can read how to protect your dogs from the sun.

Do you like to garden? If you have any gardening secrets, I would love to hear about them.