life
GARDENING
Alan Titchmarsh
Photo by Niall McDiarmid
Don't forget to read Alan's regular column in the
Sunday Express - S Magazine every Sunday.
Creature comforts
We put every effort into creating the perfect
garden for our families to relax
in - so why not do the same for pets?
It's easier than you think, says Alan
P
ets love gardens.
Unfortunately their
appreciation is based
on a rather different set of
parameters from their owners,
who most unreasonably, as
pets see it -are preoccupied
with fragile flowers and brittle
pots. They must think we're
barking mad. To dogs, gardens
are adventure playgrounds,
constructed especially for
racing about chasing things,
burying bones and digging
up plants. Cats, on the other
hand, see a garden as a live-in
lawn come-hunting-park,
with speed-dating behind
72
the shed. And when dogs
and cats are not doing what
comes naturally, they are busy
escaping out onto busy roads,
or getting into mischief in
neighbours' gardens. It's a
worry, but we love them, so
how can we co-exist without
them?
The golden rule is to regard
pets as four-legged toddlers.
Make the garden as safe as you
can, keep them shut safely in
it, and provide them with some
animal-friendly entertainment
that makes staying home more
fun. Yes, I know, it's easier
said than done, but given
the thought that
goes into laying out
a garden for your
own amusement, it's
just a case of good
planning.
It takes a decent
barrier round the
garden to keep pets in
-which coincidentally
does an equally good
job of keeping other
people's animals out.
A hedge is often a
problem since pets
can push through
gaps near the base.
If you're planning
on planting one, give
yourself a double
dose of security
by putting in two
layers of hedging plants -one
row each side of a wire mesh
fence. An existing hedge can
be reinforced if you cut it back
hard at the· side, put your
wire mesh fence in tightly up
against it, then allow your
hedge to grow back through
the mesh so it doesn't show.
A fence can be a very efficient
pet barrier, and even the
plainest chain link type can be
made to look better by growing
wall shrubs or climbers on it.
But for anyone with pets that
can climb or jump be aware of
the rules that allow councils
to take action if your fence
exceeds six feet. If a normal
fence can't keep pets in,
consider making an enclosed
run in the garden for them. A
lot of people are doing it these
days, but again it doesn't have
to look institutional.
You could construct a pergola
with wire mesh sides, clad with
climbers. Put a summerhouse
at one end -where pets can
have beds, food, toys and
all mod cons -and a gate at
the other, so you can send
them out for a bit of exercise
without worrying that they'll
escape as soon as your back
is turned. The run can still
double for normal everyday
family use when you're outside
with your pets.
Or you could always set up
a dedicated play area. Think
a decorative fruit-cage-like
structure with strong netting
sides and top, and finials
crowning the posts. Lay a
surface of grass or bark
chippings, all planted with
rugged, but attractive fruit
trees and bushes.
As for pet-friendly
facilities, any garden can
house a few things that your
four-legged friend will love:
a safe, secluded corner for
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