If you want to permit the tenants of your Horace rental property to keep pets, first make sure that it is safe for both animals and humans. Setting up a pet-friendly garden should not have to be costly or complex. It does, however, entail a lot of thoughtful preparation. A garden adds to the charm of your single-family rental property, making it especially attractive for tenants with pets. Though it’s quite impossible to completely pet-proof your garden — not when you have determined diggers around — there are other steps towards a safe and durable garden space in your rental property.
A good place to start when planning a pet-friendly garden is the choice of plants — which ones work and which ones don’t. A lot of 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. Any existing plants on the property should be taken into account to determine which of them might be toxic. If there are any, remove the entire plant and root structure. Do not use chemicals or poisons on the plants, as these can harm pets as well.
After gathering the initial details of the plants you want to include in your garden, proceed to outline the area that you want to utilize. 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. Lastly, a few inexpensive or decorative fencing will encourage pets to use certain areas of the yard while keeping them away from others.
Various forms of deterrents integrate the addition of specific varieties of spices and pungent plants with smells that pets don’t like. Such as, 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. To ward the pets off, this plant has an overpowering smell that most cats and some dogs don’t like. However, the scent is barely noticeable to humans.
For the final point, it is crucial to take into consideration what type of fertilizer you are using on your plants. Many varieties of fertilizer and even mulch can be harmful to household pets. And should your tenant’s pets have unsupervised access to the garden, it’s always best to err on the side of caution. You can assist to create a pet-safe garden that your tenant will love by going for non-toxic varieties of both fertilizer and mulch.
It doesn’t require much to design a beautiful garden that’s not only attractive but also one that can safely withstand the ordinary activities of household pets!
Our competent team of Horace property managers at Real Property Management Optimum can help you make sure that tenants will be satisfied with a pet-friendly garden in their homes. If you want to know more about what we can do to serve you, don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us at 320-289-4649.
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