How does a gardener/homeowner deal with a constant parade of dog walkers and their pooches stopping, sniffing, and marking territory? In some neighborhoods the constant showers can be really tough on — if not deadly to — the plants that are targeted.
While walking around town I’ve seen an assortment of signs warning dog owners to keep their companions from watering plantings; some are cute, some get a little snarky, and some have a nearby jug of water at the ready, presumably for the dog’s guardian to douse a plant when the dog fails to read the sign.
A grouping of Yucca filementosa growing near the road at the hell-strip end of an arborvitae hedge.
Not having a dog, I’m no expert on the etiquette involved but there appears to be a wide range of approaches, from willful disobedience to careful avoidance – oblivion and distraction falling somewhere in the middle.
Most of our plantings are behind the hedges and fences surrounding our yard. We did put in three Yucca filamentosa as an exclamation point of sorts at the end of a rather boring row of arborvitae along our driveway. It jazzes up the area, shooting up incredible flower stalks every summer. One of the three original plants was variegated, but years later the variegated plant reverted or was outcompeted by its plain-Jane sisters.
This group of yuccas has remained and flourished with little attention, despite being continuously doused in dog urine over the years. It’s a favorite sniffing and peeing spot for the pooches, and a favorite spot for the leash-holders to catch up on the news of the neighborhood. The only maintenance is an occasional soaking with the hose during dry spells and before I go out and clean up the dead undergrowth every couple of years. I do wear sturdy gloves for that!
If you’re searching for a cast-iron plant for streetside planting that’ll hold up well to dog pee, I suggest trying out a Yucca filamentosa, or two or three.
– Anne Rowlands
