Poisonous Plants for Pets

Meet Maggie O'Connor, the newest addition to our family. She's a sweet-tempered, lovable hound mix that we adopted from the Idaho Humane Society a few months ago. Isn't she a beauty?

Keeping her safe is our top priority. That's why we knew it was important to familiarize ourselves with plants that could make pets like Maggie sick.

What's Dangerous? According to the Humane Society, there are hundreds of plants that can cause everything from mild nausea to death in animals. Here's their list.

Coleus, chamomile, calla lilies and chrysanthemums are just a few popular plants that can make your pup ill, reports the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Incidentally, these coleus (or "coleuses," if you're a stickler for grammar) were grown by Elaine and Pat McCoy from seeds. Fortunately, the McCoy's two dogs -- Hillary and Clinton -- stay far away from these plants.

Biggest Problems? To determine the plants most likely to poison pets, Veterinary Pet Insurance Company (VPI) reviewed more than 400 claims it received for these types of incidents in 2008. The top 10 poisonous plants most likely to be ingested by pets are:

1. Raisins/Grapes
2. Mushrooms
3. Marijuana
4. Lily
5. Walnuts
6. Onion
7. Sago Palm
8. Macadamia Nuts
9. Azalea
10. Hydrangea

Did Your Pet Eat a Poisonous Plant? If you think your pet is ill or may have ingested a poisonous plant, the ASPCA advises you to call your local veterinarian or its 24-hour emergency hotline directly at 1-888-426-4435.

As for Maggie... It's discouraging that so many plants can make our pets sick. With Maggie, we're limiting her exposure to various plants, and we're correcting her whenever she tries to eat any plant. So far, she seems disinterested, fortunately.

Meanwhile, we welcome any pet-friendly suggestions for gardens that work for you.

Are You Fooling? It's April!

"Hail April, the Medea of the year,

That makest all things young and fresh appear."

R. Chambers, The Book of Days, 1866

It's the first day of April. Each day, spring grows stronger in its fight against winter. And our gardens start to look especially lovely after months of gray, dreary days.

The colorful bulb garden (above) belongs to my neighbors, Elaine and Pat McCoy. Stroll around their suburban garden and you can tell Elaine was trained as a master gardener in Idaho. The soil is amended each year with well-aged cow manure, and they are meticulous about cleaning up debris that might have overwintered pests and pathogens.

The effort shows in the McCoy's thriving gardens. I shot this picture last year around mid-April. Wait until you see how lovely their vegetable garden will look in a few months. These two are experts at growing loads of edibles in a small amount of space. Most of which they started from seeds.

And I'm not fooling! Even though today is called "All Fool's Day."

Incidentally, is it stormy where you are? That's not a bad thing, according to this old proverb:

"If it thunders on All Fools' Day

it brings good crops of corn and hay."