Your Portsmouth rental property needs to be as safe for animals as it is for humans if you are going to grant your tenants permission to have pets. Constructing a pet-friendly garden doesn’t have to overtly expensive or daunting. In any case, it will call for some form of outlining and designing. One way to boost your single-family property’s appeal is to design a wonderful garden that makes the space conducive for tenants with pets. Creating a safe and durable garden space in your rental property is not at all impossible, even when you have pets that are determined diggers. It may not be fully pet-proof, but it will be your garden, nonetheless.
At the onset of your plans for building a pet-friendly garden, spend a good amount of time learning about which plants are good for pets and which ones aren’t. Several plants are poisonous for dogs, cats, and other pets, so choosing safe plants is a good idea in case your tenant’s pet decides to take a bite. Should you already have plants on the property, make sure to examine each one, making an inventory, so that you have an idea of which ones might be toxic. If such plants exist, be sure to remove the entire plant and root structure. Do not use chemicals or poisons on the plants, as these can harm pets as well.
Before organizing the details of how you want your garden to look like, make sure you have an idea of which plants you want to include. Pet-friendly gardens often use features like sturdy border plants, planting containers, raised beds, and fences to control which parts of the yard the pet will be able to access. Using large, sturdy plants as a barrier around more delicate plants can help keep pets from trampling and urinating in places you don’t want them to. Container gardening, especially hanging baskets and railing planters can help place garden plants out of reach. Also, certain inexpensive or decorative fencing can serve to encourage pets to use certain areas of the yard while keeping them away from others.
Different kinds of deterrents involve adding specific varieties of spices and pungent plants with smells that pets don’t like. E.g., rosemary, sage, and bitter orange plants may keep a curious dog away due to their strong odor. Some experts recommend planting Coleus Canina, sometimes called Dogbane, in areas where pets aren’t wanted. Because of its overpowering smell that most cats and dogs don’t like, this plant can keep pets away from a certain area. However, the scent is barely noticeable to humans.
Finally, it is a serious matter to bear in mind what type of fertilizer you are using on your plants. Many varieties of fertilizer and even mulch can be harmful to household pets. Better to err on the side of caution, especially when your tenant’s pets have unsupervised access to the garden. In opting to pick non-toxic varieties of both fertilizer and mulch, you can help create a pet-safe garden that your tenant will love.
It is quite possible to design a beautiful garden that can safely withstand the ordinary activities of household pets. All it takes is a plan and a will to carry it out.
With our team of Portsmouth property managers at Real Property Management Seacoast New Hampshire, you can rest easy knowing that tenants will be happy with a pet-friendly garden in their homes. Please contact us online or call us at 603-343-2202 to learn more about how we can serve you.
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