When choosing plants for my client's Dog Friendly back garden I had to consider a number of factors as well as the usual soil type, aspect and exposure considerations.
Obviously the main consideration is not to include any plants which are poisonous to dogs. I used the list from The Dogs Trust which includes many favourites including daffodils (Narcissus), Wisteria and Lily of the Valley (Convallaria). The Doggypedia website also has a really useful article on this subject. Many climbers and bulbs in particular are very poisonous to dogs so I've included only Trachelospernum Jasminoides and Rosa 'Mortimer Sackler' to soften the boundaries and no bulbs.
In additional I've avoided any spiky or shaped leaved plants (Yucca, Phormium etc) as these plants can caused eye injuries to dogs.
Hardy evergreen shrubs including Viburnum tinus, Choisya dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl' and Ceanothus 'Puget Blue' form the backbone for a clay and partial shade tolerant planting scheme, in which ornamental grasses (Miscanthus sinensis 'Ferner Osten', Pennisetum) and hardy ground cover plants (Ajuga reptans, Persicaria affinis 'Superba') provide a sensory but robust planting design which will be reasonably resilient to some puppy disturbance.
The sunnier bed at the back of the garden will contain fragrant Mediterranean sub shrubs and perennials including Lavandula and Salvia purpuracens which should induce a calming effect.
Height in the garden is provided by the existing Apple tree and new Amelanchier lamarckii in the opposite corner.
I look forward to planting this garden later on in the Spring.
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