It is essential to guarantee that your Wake Forest rental property is as safe for animals as it is for humans if you are to permit your tenants to have pets. Building a pet-friendly garden does not have to be luxurious or tricky. Nevertheless, it will need you to do a bit of research and planning. Tenants with pets will most likely find single-family rental properties more attractive if they see that it comes with a vibrant garden. Even though your garden may not be fully pet-proof from those determined diggers, but there other ways to achieve a safe and durable garden space in your rental property.
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. Does your property already have existing plants? Go through them carefully and list them down to see which ones might be toxic. If some are toxic, remove the entire plant and root structure. Do not use chemicals or poisons on the plants, as these can harm pets as well.
After careful planning of which plants to include in your garden, move on towards designing the layout. 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.
Different kinds of deterrents involve adding specific varieties of spices and pungent plants with smells that pets don’t like. For instance, 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. This plant has an overpowering smell that most cats and dogs can’t stand. However, the scent is barely noticeable to humans.
Lastly, it is essential to examine what type of fertilizer you are using on your plants. Many varieties of fertilizer and even mulch can be harmful to household pets. Even if you don’t expect your tenant’s pets to have unsupervised access to the garden, it’s 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 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 Wake Forest property managers at Real Property Management Raleigh, you can rest easy knowing that tenants will be happy with a pet-friendly garden in their homes. Feel free to contact us online or by phone at 919-481-0008. We’ll be glad to answer any of your questions.
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