Gardening guides from the Garden Helper
Celebrating 10 years of helping your gardens grow!
[ The Garden Helper][ Gardening Basics][ Gardening Basics][ "How to" Guides][ House plants][ Glossary]
[
Garden Encyclopedia][ USDA Zones][ Monthly Reminders][ Galleries][ Recipes]
[
**** The Gardener's Forum ****]


vines and flowers

Non-toxic Plants for a Shaded Foundation

I want to renew the foundation plantings on the north side of my house *without* poisoning my Lab puppy, who is still very "mouthy".
The azaleas that are there now are apparently nontoxic but I want other shrubs as well. Some that I know do well in my area (zone 7a) and should do well in that site are oakleaf Hydrangea (H. quercicifolia); various Ilex spp., including Yaupon (I. vomitoria) and winterberry (I. verticillata); Pieris; Skimmia; Aucuba; Mahonia -- in order of preference. Aucuba's poisonous so it's out but what about the others? Any other ideas?
Thanks! Kate
....
>>>>>I have a couple things I need to know....Your reference is about foundation plantings,,,How tall would you like the plants, and will it be a single row of plantings or staged with tall in back, short in front.
....
Probably anything between 3-5 feet would be OK. I need to hide the ugly foundation but don't want to obscure one window. I want to do a staged planting and I want it to be mostly evergreen, or otherwise attractive in winter. I don't think there's enough sun for ornamental grasses since this is a northern exposure.
....
>>>>>Also, do you have any idea of the pH value of your soil. I assume that since you have the azaleas, your soil is somewhat acid, But if you know for sure, it will help.
....
Yes, it is definitely acid and I can check the exact pH tomorrow (it's dark now) and look at the height of the window from the ground, too. This is our second Lab puppy to teethe on azalea twigs! (The first lived to be eleven years old, so I don't think it affected him.) The azaleas don't have to stay, though.
Deer Fern

To start with... doesn't fang know that he's not supposed to mess around with Mom's stuff????
I'm not a puppy shrink, but I think I'd try getting him interested in something else. Have you ever given him a pig ear(mmmm, yummy!) to chew on?? Give him a couple of those every day, and his jaws would be to tired to chew on anything else.

Kathryn wrote back in and pointed out that I had included holly into the safe category of plants, when in reality, the berries are poisonous to all animals except the birds. Whoops.. My mom told me that years ago, whats wrong with me! So thank you to Kathryn. Holly is hereby banished from the safe list....Bill

For future reference... Here's a few links to sites listing known toxic plants...
Canada: Poisonous Plants / Common
For the most complete indexing of toxic house, garden and wild plants
I recommend you visit the U.S. Army's
GUIDE TO POISONOUS AND TOXIC PLANTS

Guide to Gardening in the Shade
Perennials Plants to Grow in Full Shade
Annuals, Perennials, and Bulbs which Grow in Partial or Light Shade
Trees and Shrubs to grow in your shade garden
Groundcover plants to grow in your shaded area in the garden
Non Toxic Shade Garden Plants

Gardeners helping other gardeners

[ The Garden Helper][ Gardening Basics][ Encyclopedia]
[
Plants by name][ Plants by botanical name][ How to Grow a Garden][ Monthly reminders]
[
House Plants][ Web Graphics][ Nature Gallery]
[
Gardeners Forum][ Gardening Glossary]