Perfect plants for a pet-friendly garden in SW London

For those of us who have pets or young children, selecting plants which are going to be safe for them is paramount. It can feel a daunting task if you’re also thinking about other essential aspects which will allow your plants to thrive (such as which way your garden faces, or soil type). I was therefore delighted to be asked to help a client with a small south-facing garden to recommend plants which would be cat-friendly for their feline-family members. In my client’s own words: “I know I don’t have control over what plants the cats chew or sit on when they go wandering around the neighbourhood, but it’s important to me that our garden is a safe space for them and I don’t have to worry about them when they’re here”.

This was a really interesting brief for me as the client also had dense soil and full sun for much of the day, and many of the plants I would have turned to for this type of garden were not entirely safe for pets. The client also had a ideal colour palette of red, yellow and white, so the combination of all these factors was really making them feel that they’d never find plants which would suit their family and thrive in their outdoor space. Fortunately, I was able to help!

Nepeta ‘Snowflake’, a white version of the plant commonly know as catmint. Beautifully scented, it’s a favourite.

Miscanthus sinensis. Cats love to play in this grass, as well as lying beneath its shade in the heat of summer.

Veronicastrum virginicum album. A great structural plant which looks stunning and is great for the back of a border

I started looking at structural plants which would give height, depth and movement to their outside space. Working within the colour palette, I recommended Nepeta ‘Snowflake’ (otherwise known as catmint), a hardy bushy perennial with a lovely scent which I knew the cats (and humans) would love. Easy to look after, you can also divide this plant in spring or autumn to create new plants to populate other areas of the garden. A lover of full sun or part shade, the nepeta would work in various places around the south-facing space.

Although I don’t own a cat, from the seven neighbourhood cats who love to spend time in my garden, I’m also aware of how much they love grasses. Fun to play with, providing shade in the summer and gentle swaying movement for soft interest when sitting nearby, I recommended Miscanthus siensis. This particular grass has narrow, arching leaves with white lines through the middle of the leaf, with silky, purple-tinged, curled flowers in summer. This soft maroon tone would complement the yellow palette which the client also loves.

For the back of their border, I suggested Veronicastrum virginicum album, a tall flowering stem which would work well with the miscanthus and with stunning, bright green foliage to provide a backdrop for the more colourful plants in the foreground.

Echinacea 'Mellow Yellows'. A great flower for attracting pollinators and for incorporating into prairie-style planting.

Geum chiloense, 'Mrs. Bradshaw'. I’m a huge fan of geums, which can be both delicate or pack a punch, depending on the colour you choose.

Alchemilla mollis. A great allrounder for adding a pop of lime-green and yellow. Doesn’t mind neglect.

As the client already had some established climbing yellow and red roses, they were keen for these colours to be replicated in the new planting. I recommended Echinacea 'Mellow Yellows' as a compliment to the veronicastrum and the miscanthus, as their beautiful daisy shape would create balance within the upright stems of the plants behind. My client was also keen to have plants that will take care of themselves and also self-seed around the garden. Both Alchemilla mollis and geums are excellent for this, with the red of Geum chiloense, 'Mrs. Bradshaw' suiting the client’s taste perfectly. The yellow anthers sitting just inside the red petals would also be picked out in the yellow of the echinacea.

I’m pleased to say the client loved the plant design, which they are slowly going to integrate into their borders as budget allows. That’s one of the brilliant things about having a planting design - you don’t have to do everything straight away. If you’re working to a strict financial plan or have other things you need to invest your time in at the moment, you can work with fulfilling your planting design over a number of months or even years. You can wait to purchase specific plants when you see them on offer online, or when they are discounted towards the end of the season, or perhaps in versions which you know are cheaper at certain times of year (such as bare root trees in winter - much cheaper than potted versions of the same plant which are sold from spring onwards).

I really enjoyed fulfilling this brief and helping this cat-loving family. If you need help choosing pet-friendly plants for your garden and are unsure where to start, get in touch today. I’d love to help create a garden which both you and your four-legged friend loves.