by Guest | Apr 11, 2024 | Being Well, Featured, Move Well, Uncategorized
We love our pets. We also love our beautiful coastal gardens. Sadly, sometimes, the most stunning things in our gardens can be toxic to our beloved pets. So, how do we protect our pets and still maintain a gorgeous landscape. Depending on your pets’ needs and habits, we can eliminate many of the toxic plants they may come in contact with. Here are a few common plants to avoid.
First to consider is Narcissus (Daffodils). These pretty seasonal flowers brighten up an early spring garden. Many see them as a sign that wet stormy coastal weather is ending and warmer, drier days are upon us. However, even in small amounts, the flowers can cause symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.
Many of us love rhubarb pie and the rhubarb plant grows well in coastal climates. The stalks produce malic acid which is beneficial for people with acne, fibromyalgia, dry skin, and fatigue. The leaves are a different story. Even in small amounts the leaves can be lethal. They can cause gastrointestinal distress, breathing problems, and internal bleeding.
The flowers from Digitalis (foxglove) contain cardiac glycosides used in modern medicine. Accidental ingestion can be fatal. Dizziness vomiting, irregular heartbeat, delirium, hallucinations, and death can occur if accidentally ingested.
Hemlock is another plant highly toxic to pets. The entire plant, especially the roots, are poisonous. They can be found growing wild along stream banks and ditches. Symptoms vary after ingestion, ranging from nausea, vomiting, and salivation to convulsions, coma and ultimately death.
Finally, Hedra (English Ivy) is a common culprit of poisoning. These evergreen woody vines are extremely invasive and can easily climb up trees, fences, and buildings. The berries of these plants look like blueberries but that is where the similarity ends. If eaten, they can cause burning in the mouth and throat and gastrointestinal distress.
Before discussing pet-safe plants there is one additional plant of concern. Locally, Creeping Buttercups grow prolifically. They are opportunistic and will grow anyway they can take root. Gone unaddressed they will completely take over a garden. It is important to take note of these especially because often they grow in lawns. Many domestic animals eat grass to aid in digestion. The fresh sap of this plant is highly irritating to skin and mucous membranes. If ingested it can cause gastrointestinal irritation, colic, diarrhea, nephritis and in severe cases, paralysis of the central nervous system. The best way to prevent the spread of these is to dig and pull them up by the roots before they go to seed.
Even though there are a number of plants of concern, not to worry, there are many plants and flowers that add beauty to a garden and maintain a safe environment for your pet. Consider planting a pet friendly lawn. You can purchase seeds from a variety of places that sell lawn seed advertised as pet safe and pet friendly. Careful research will help you decide which seed is right for your pet and the area where you live.
Also, there are many herbs that your pet might enjoy snacking on while they improve your landscape. Try planting herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme, dill, fennel or basil. They smell terrific, are a nice addition to dips and sauces, and your pets will also appreciate them.
Many annuals are colorful and safe for your pets. Among them are petunias, fuchsias, sunflowers, camellia, snapdragons, and nasturtiums. All these plants come in a variety of shades, shapes and colors. Because of our mild coastal temperatures, they often winter over, and we can enjoy them over again the next year.
There are also a variety of perennials that are equally gorgeous and pet friendly. They include dahlias, hollyhock, and black eyes susans. These will add the brilliance that makes every garden pop with color year after year.
There is much to consider when designing a pet friendly landscape. It is best to do thorough research before planting. There are a wide variety of choices to meet your and your pet’s needs. If you need help determining what is safe and unsafe for your garden, please feel free to contact your local OSU extension office at 503-842-3433 or contact us through our web site at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/tillamook
You can also contact the Tillamook County Master Gardeners Association for help. Reach them through the OSU extension office, their website at https://tillamookmastergardeners.com/ or find them on Facebook. There are many resources available to assist you in creating a beautiful and safe garden for you and your pet.
Written by: Alice St. Clare, OSU Master Gardener
by Guest | Mar 22, 2023 | Eat Well
Gardening can be a wonderful hobby for enjoying fresh veggies and spending time outdoors, but it can also be intimidating to figure out how to get started as a beginner gardener. We recently talked with Sarah Ostermiller, a Tillamook County Master Gardener through OSU Extension, to learn more about her experience as a gardener and any advice she might have for those who want to try their hand this spring.
How did you originally get started in gardening?
I tell people that I do not remember a time I didn’t garden. My grandmother had a garden and when she babysat, we would be outside and she would hand me big seeds that a little kid could handle, and she would show me how to put them in the ground. And I was absolutely fascinated that they would turn into beautiful flowers or peas to eat. I was hooked from the time I was about 4 or 5 years old so when I retired, the first thing I did when moving here was take the master gardening training and I’ve been involved ever since.
What do you wish you had known when you first started gardening on your own?
Don’t over do it! I think the first garden I planted on my own was probably in college and I planted every seed I could find in a relatively small space and it got away from me. I didn’t have the time to take care of it, to weed it, or to preserve it after harvest. I think the best thing first gardeners can do is decide how much time they have and how much space they have, and then choose exactly what is the most special thing that they want to grow. Start small because it can be overwhelming.
I’m a vegetable gardener primarily, and any cold-weather crops are very easy to grow. So this time of year, you can start getting lettuce, radishes and peas started. Other cold crops like cabbages, broccoli, kales are also relatively easy to grow. “Cool weather crops” start easily in the colder soil in the colder early months of the summer.
What are some common mistakes that first time gardeners make?
Growing things that look good in the seed catalog but your family isn’t going to eat – if you have picky kids who don’t like vegetables, it might not be a good idea to grow kohlrabi but corn might be okay. The best thing to do is try to grow things that you or your household will eat and start with few things that you enjoy using in the kitchen. It may not be as exciting as growing something more exotic or unusual, but when it produces well and tastes good, there’s nothing more exciting than that.
What should people know about our climate when it comes to gardening on the coast?
There are two important things to know about your garden space: the weather and the soil. You could be at the beach and have more rain and wind and sandy soil or you could be up on the side of the coastal range and the soil is really forest loam where you get a full sun exposure. Those things make a big difference on what will grow well and how much time you have to grow things until it gets cold again. I always recommend that people try growing things in raised beds where they have more control over the soil and crops.
Do you have a basic overview of what you would tell someone who is just starting out?
The first step is deciding what exactly you would like to grow: vegetables, flowers, or maybe trees? Then spend a little bit of time doing some research: the local libraries have wonderful selections of gardening how-to books. And if you aren’t sure about what kind of soil you have and want to do a soil test, OSU Extension can help make recommendations on how to do that.
Another great way to get started is to talk to your friends and neighbors! If you walk by someone’s house while they’re out gardening, stop and chat with them. Gardeners love to talk about what they’re doing and they absolutely love to talk about their gardens so don’t hesitate to ask questions and then contact us if you have any specific questions.
How can folks utilize the resources and knowledge at OSU Extension?
The best ways to contact the Master Gardeners is to call the Tillamook County OSU Extension office or email directly at tillamook.mastergardeners@oregonstate.edu. People can also visit our website at https://tillamookmastergardeners.com/ and we can message through our Facebook page, the Tillamook County Master Gardener Association.
What do you enjoy most about working for OSU Extension?
Well I love gardening, but I’m also very conscious about wanting to do it well and right. You can go online and get all kinds of odd information about how to deal with problems or insects or diseases but it’s not necessarily the best sources for information. The Master Gardener training is developed to teach people science-based gardening and home horticulture, and that is what we use for making recommendations when faced with problems in the garden (such as a disease or insect attacking your garden). We want to make sure that the information we give out is scientifically based, research-based information. And that really is a good feeling, because you know that the information that you are providing somebody is going to help them make their garden work for them.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I don’t think there is anything better then pushing a few small seeds in the ground and watching them come up and harvesting a bowl full of fresh vegetables to serve to your family. I find that to be just an absolute marvelous process and something everyone should do at least once in their lives. As a beginning gardener, you can get a couple pots and sprinkle a couple lettuce seeds or stick in a tomato plant and see if you like the process – you’ll have salad all summer long with just a pot and a small package of seeds. Trying it out in some containers or pots is a great way to get started.
We also have a “learning garden” at the fairgrounds. If you come in the main entrance where the reader board is and look to the right, there’s a garden there known as the learning garden. Anytime the fairgrounds are open, people can wander through and see what’s going on. Last year we put together a fairly extensive container garden of mostly vegetables. This year we’ll get started at the beginning of April and anyone can stop by to see what’s growing and get in touch with us when we’re there on Thursday mornings.
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
