June 26, 2022
Fun in the Garden with Cerberus!
Summer is here in full force, and we’ve already had some scorching hot days!
I generally only take my dogs for moderately paced walks in the early morning or evening on hot days, but sometimes I skip it altogether if I feel it’s too warm. I have a well protected, shaded patio, and my dogs love playing in their yard, so I feel good about their “outside time” on those days. On hot days, they have everything they need: water, shade, access to the house (I am always with them), and a kiddie pool to splash around in and cool off.
In addition to the tried and true games that dogs love like “fetch,” I have created little areas in which my dogs can use all their senses safely to expend energy. Enter the Sensory Garden! Some of these example photos are current, and some are last year’s incarnation of the “sensory garden.” I change it every year to keep things interesting.
My version of a sensory garden consists of sound, scent, and texture. You can see in some of the photos that I have added stones and rubber pavers to an area of the yard for a change in texture. I also have little pots full of berries and safe herbs for the dogs to sniff and chew. I plant some of these plants, especially mint, directly into the ground so the dogs can run through them and release the scent. And mint is nearly impossible to kill, so it just keeps coming back! One of my pups has a favorite game of pawing her toys in the mint to release the scent.
I also have wind chimes strategically placed in the yard so that the dogs can paw at them to create sound or just enjoy them blowing in the wind. Like I said, I will update my photos as the summer marches on so you can see the ever-evolving-play-yard in action.
One other important feature for me in my yard is my vegetable garden. While I do grow a few veggies in containers in the play yard, I grow the bulk of what I want to eat on the other side of my fence so that no certain someones can pee on or chew the plants. This way, I am creating rewarding, fun, useful areas on my property for myself AND my dogs! See the last photo for my vegetable garden.
Do you have any sensory garden ideas or tips for gardening with pets? Find me on Facebook and share!