Landscape Design Ideas for South Florida

 Dog-friendly Landscape

 

Often we tend to jump-the-gun, plant on passion alone, and forget about our furry friends… Big no-no! If you are a pet enthusiast, more than likely your furry friend is more like a member of your family. By no means would you put in a pool without safety measures in place, if you had a small child, so why would you put in poisonous plants that could entice your beloved, pawed pal? Or even tempt poor Fido into disrupting your potentially beautiful landscape? Pretty much anything at ground level is fair game, so keep that in mind! Now, don’t go beating yourself up. There are more and more cases of this by the day! We are human! The good news is that we can fix it! Construction Landscape to the rescue!

 

What exactly does dog-friendly landscape entail? Here a few aspects to consider for your custom dog-friendly landscape design:

 

• Dogs need access to food, water, and shelter if they will be spending lots of time among the landscape. Adding an accessible water feature, such as a babbling brook or a koi pond, provides a source for quenching thirst from the warm outdoors. A water dish can also be paired with a food bowl and kept in a custom doghouse. The doghouse also provides shade in an outdoor living space that is just for Fido.
  

  Fountain with still-water feature

  

  Accessible water feature

 

• Speaking of “just for Fido”, it may be a good idea to install a log post or other small, environmentally tough statuary item that can be designated for Fido to relieve himself. Fire hydrants don’t fit to well into a classy and dignified dog-friendly landscape design!

 

•  Creating walkways with wooden planking, brick pavers, or mulch designates pathways to encourage exercise for your beloved canines. Stone pebbles and flagstone can also be used. If need be, you can install a dog run. This physically prohibits your pet from venturing into unsafe or unprotected areas, while still allotting substantial space for exercise and entertainment.
  

  Brick paver pathway distinguishing walkway from delicate accent plant material

  

  Winding walkways to encourage exercise

  

  Walkway lined with thick shrubs and hedges to guide exercise route

 

• Place accents and other delicate plant material on a pedestal where they belong! Pets are less likely to make contact with any plant material that is elevated. Using planters or brick pavers to heighten planting beds defines where the areas for your pet to play are and where they are not. Larger trunked bushes, thicker shrubs, hedges, and, of course, towering trees and palms, also manage to deter trampling or nibbling from our furry friends, as well.

 

• Use rock or brick paver bordering to help enclose planting beds, if you are not keen on raising your plant beds. They also provide protection within a dog-friendly landscape design.
  

  White river rock planting beds

 

• Avoid plants with thorns or other prickly features. This could cause injury to man’s best friends.

 

• Install decorative fencing that moonlights as a safety measure for keeping your canine contained your backyard landscape. If your canine is an escape artist with the tendency of digging under the fence, prevent further occurrence by installing buried chicken wire that puts an unconquerable obstacle to put an end to the disappearing acts.

 

No matter how active or defiant your furry friend can be, Construction Landscape can create a dog-friendly landscape design that matches your specific goals in mind. Fulfilling your wants and needs are first on our priority list for your upcoming landscape project. Contact Construction Landscape of Vero Beach and Melbourne, FL today at (772)492-8382 for your complimentary consultation. With a custom dog-friendly landscape design from Construction Landscape, everyone wins!