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Hitchin dog-friendly garden

Clients’ brief:

Low maintenance planting in the back garden with shades of blue, purple and whites. Not too many floriferous plants as one of my client’s little Chihuahuas was stung by a bee.

Design response ~

This project started out with a modest client brief, but after I met clients to discuss their wishes for the garden in more depth, I was able to tease out some more ideas. The garden space was also an important safe space for resident family pets, which include a beautiful white cat and two Chihuahuas. Clients needed their pet family to be safe in the garden and didn’t want to include too many floriferous perennials as they were concerned for bees, only because one of the Chihuahuas was stung, so they were a little nervous.

Dogs love grasses and are the perfect solution particularly for placing at the front of the borders, the flowering perennials were positioned further back towards the fence boundary. Selecting taller floriferous perennials and larger shrubs that will produce flowers that aren’t within immediate reach of the Chihuahuas was also a consideration.

The planting plan features beautiful bronze and blue coloured ornamental grasses with an accent colour purple, created by planting purple flowering Salvia. Plants are selected for their colour and characteristics, as well as ensuring that all the plants will thrive in the planting spaces around the garden. Grasses create much needed movement in the garden and work very well with a structured backdrop and large boulders.

Feature plants ~ perennial planting plan

Salvia nemerosa ‘Caradonna’
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’
Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’

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