Doggy nirvana: Pet-friendly garden is haven for both animal and owner

By Kari Richardson

Chicago Tribune (TNS)

Jordan Petchenik is a dog person. He has owned four of them since moving into a 1920s bungalow in Madison, Wis., some 20 years ago.

But Petchenik also loves gardening. Therein lies the problem.

Challenges from dogs to a yard are numerous. Digging, trampling, chewing – not to mention using favorite plants as a potty – take an undeniable toll on a landscape.

But Petchenik was determined to create a place where he and a series of canine best friends could play and hang out together over the years. He currently owns a 2-year-old beagle-Australian shepherd mix named Finch.

With mulched pathways, a small pond filled with wriggling goldfish, carefully chosen trees and a variety of hardy plants, Petchenik has created doggy nirvana in his backyard.

Finch, who can spend an entire warm, lazy Saturday in Petchenik’s fenced-in yard, has everything he needs at his disposal – fresh water in the pond, places to soak up the sun or stay cool in the shade and a sort of obstacle course of planters, benches and other garden ornaments perfect for racing around or hiding his toys underneath.

Garden elements must deliver on two fronts: They must be dog-friendly but also please the owner.

“It was important to me to have a happy balance,” Petchenik said. “I didn’t want to turn my yard into truly a dog yard and nothing else.”

The patio, made up of antique bricks, is a good example. Petchenik wanted an outdoor area for grilling and dining.

“But lo and behold in the winter the bricks heat up and that’s where all my dogs would hang out on cold days,” he said.

Similarly, the pond and fountain provide a soundtrack Petchenik finds relaxing. It’s also a place for Finch to get a cool drink.

There are trade-offs, of course.

Visitors here find few flowering perennials. Petchenik instead grows flowering plants in pots, where they will be safe from trampling by an energetic young dog.

Hostas mostly withstand Finch’s antics, but Petchenik admits even they look a little dog-eared by summer’s end.

He’s been fortunate, though, that none of the dogs he has owned have been serious diggers.

And he said goodbye to grass years ago, instead creating a series of mulched pathways that lead to various garden areas.

Creating an outdoor area that is welcoming for canines, Petchenik said, “means not being able to do everything you might want to with the yard. A dog is going to run and a dog is going to occasionally dig. So the plants have to be able to survive that kind of behavior.”

Professional garden designers, who also frequently must factor pets into their designs, echo that sentiment.

“The dog is the first client you meet,” said Carol Lindsay, owner and head designer of Portland, Ore.-based Landscape Design in a Day. “They are always the first to get to the door.”

When executed well, the dog-friendly garden is a haven for both pet and owner. “Ideally the garden is a place where the dog can romp around with the owners and everyone can have a great time,” Gluck said.