How to Create a Pet-Friendly Garden

Introducing a furry friend into your household? This adorable new addition may mean some landscaping alterations are needed. But don’t worry, that doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your dream garden aesthetic. From safe plant choices to pet-friendly paving, there are many ways to make your garden suitable for your new companion while keeping it a haven for you, too.

Pet Friendly Paving

It’s important to remember that your furry friend’s paws and body come into direct contact with your paving, as they don’t wear shoes like us. This means a dog-friendly garden design should avoid paving that could become hot and painful for them to walk or lie on in summer. By opting for light-coloured, sun-reflecting pavers, your pet can sunbathe safely all season long.

We also highly recommend textured paving, such as sandstone or flamed granite, in gardens with pets. These make for great dog-friendly garden surfaces, as they give them grip for extra safety when they’re running around and, as a bonus, file their claws for you. 

If using natural stone for your garden, make sure to seal it well, as pet urine can cause damage and staining to unsealed stone slabs.  

Pet Friendly Garden Plants

Unfortunately, some plants are hazardous to animals, including garden favourites such as lilies (especially dangerous for cats), daffodils, tulips, and rhododendrons. Luckily, there are plenty of other gardens and shrubs available, including:

• Sunflowers
• Marigolds
• Roses
• Petunia
• Pansies
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Lavender
• Sage
• Cornflower
• Calendula
• Apple trees
• Hawthorn
• Elder

Sunflowers, marigolds and pansies are especially recommended for a dog-friendly garden design, as yellows and blues are among the colours they see best, providing some visual stimulation. They’ll also love exploring the scents of your herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme. Just be sure to research before adding anything new to your garden to avoid harming your pet. 

Artificial Grass

Worried about your lovely lawn getting dug up? Artificial grass might be the solution. Offering the same gorgeously green appearance of natural grass, your dog won’t be able to get through to the earth below. Plus, you won’t have to worry about mowing the lawn either. 

Pet Friendly Garden ‘Zones’

Splitting your outdoor space into zones is another great technique for dog-friendly yard landscaping. One option is to create a play zone, a low-maintenance garden area without any easily damaged plants, for your pet’s zoomies. You can even add dedicated digging areas with sand and wood chips, which will deter your pet from digging up your flowerbeds instead. 

You can make the garden even more stimulating for your pet by adding a variety of textures and scents. This could include different grass types, different sorts of surfaces to walk on, and different herbs to sniff. 

You could even incorporate different heights using railway sleepers, pergolas, or coped walls. This is especially stimulating for cats, who love hopping about. 

It’s also important to have shady spots in your garden where your pets can retreat to cool down when they get too hot. Keep water bowls near this area for an extra refreshing touch.

Lastly, keep your pet safe by securing your garden with a fence or wall, making sure there are no gaps they can squeeze through. If you have deep-water features in your garden, such as ponds, they should be properly enclosed. 

Creating a Pet Pathway

If your pet has specific routes that they use to travel through your garden to your house, this can lead to those parts of your lawn becoming worn over time. Luckily, you can counter that by adding hardscaping to these areas, such as aggregate or porcelain pathways. To ensure your aggregate landscaping is pet-friendly, opt for larger 20mm aggregate pieces, or 14mm at a minimum, rather than small gravel. This prevents stones from becoming stuck in your pet’s paw pads or being eaten. 

Pet-Friendly Garden Maintenance

There are a few extra considerations when it comes to garden maintenance when you have a pet. Firstly, if you have stone paving, you’ll need to seal it yearly because of the effects of pet urine. 

When cleaning your patio, you should invest in specific non-toxic patio cleaners or clean with a natural, homemade white vinegar and water mix. If using ordinary patio cleaners, keep your pet away from your paving while it is being cleaned and rinse the patio cleaner away thoroughly afterwards. Our patio, paving and driveway maintenance guide offers more advice on keeping paving pristine. 

Likewise, for your plants and lawn, opt for non-toxic fertilisers. If you need to use a pesticide for any reason, you can find oil-based sprays that will be damaging to slugs and snails, but not your furry pal. 

Need some supplies to create a garden both you and your pet will love? We have a range of light-coloured, high-grip paving slabs that will work perfectly, available in natural stone, concrete and porcelain.