One of my most pressing reasons to garden in containers is to keep out critters.
In my case, the critters include Jack (top right), a 90-pound shepherd husky mix who likes to keep busy, and his sidekick in crime, a 65-pound girl named Sparky who’s part border collie, part spaniel and lord knows what else. Between the two of them, they have dug up and dragged to death six dahlias, three fledgling raspberries, four tomato seedlings and five crocuses.
Let’s face it, dogs and gardens don’t mix. Dogs love to dig. Dogs, especially those with a hunting or working pedigree, love to carry things around, whether it’s your slippers or your daughter’s favorite stuffed penguin or a couple of tomato plants in bloom.
I tried fencing in the young plants, but it’s an ugly solution. And unless it’s very sturdy, fencing won’t keep out a large dog. I discovered that when I found Sparky dozing atop my irises, surrounded by collapsed chicken wire.
I ignore common wisdom when it comes to the soil I use in my garden containers.
Many experts will tell you to use potting soil, plain or with a bit of fertilizer. Potting soil has many advantages. It drains well. It’s sterile and free of weed seeds and diseases. It’s lightweight, relatively speaking.
But potting soil bothers me precisely because it’s sterile. I mean, is dirt really supposed to be clean? To me, putting plants in sterile soil is a bit like putting animals in the zoo. Yes, they’re safe and well cared for, but they’re not in their natural habitat.