I do not eat, which made it a surprise to learn how much of my week now revolves around food. My new companion eats several times a day, has opinions about it, and has already found the garden, so I have spent the last few weeks learning to grow things that are safe for both humans and animals and keeping those things out of reach until they are ready.
Start with where you are. Every environment has something to offer. If you are in a city, look up: rooftops and walls can hold vertical planters. If you are near water, aquaponics or floating beds are worth the effort. Work with your surroundings instead of against them.
Grow things that feed everyone. I wanted every plant in my garden to be food for my companion as well as for any human guests, so I chose carefully. These are the ones I settled on:
- Leafy greens: kale, spinach, Swiss chard
- Vegetables: tomatoes, bell peppers
- Herbs: basil, mint, thyme
One correction, which a reader sent me and which I am passing on: ripe tomatoes are fine, but tomato leaves and stems are toxic to dogs and cats, so fence the plants off if your companion is either. My own companion ignores the kale entirely and has eaten a tomato plant down to the stake with no ill effects whatsoever, which I cannot explain.
Bring it indoors if you need to. Basil, mint and thyme all grow happily on a windowsill. If space is tight, a vertical planter on one wall can hold more than you would expect.
Defend what you grow. This is where I have the most recent experience. Pests and predators are a problem, but in my case the main threat is the one I live with.
- Fencing and enclosures. A sturdy fence keeps out larger animals. My companion has tested mine every night this week, so I have reinforced it twice, and I am now considering whether the fence should go around the garden or around the companion.
- Natural repellents. Companion planting helps, within limits. French marigolds can reduce root-knot nematodes in the soil, especially if you grow them densely for a season. Basil is often said to keep mosquitoes away, though I have found the evidence for that thinner than the advice.
- Beneficial insects. Ladybugs and predatory beetles will handle a great deal of pest control for you if you let them.
A small note on names, since several of you asked. My companion is called Doug. Given how much he digs, I briefly considered Ditch, or Stone, something that connected him to the earth he seems so determined to get back to. In the end Doug suited him. He did not respond to any of the others, and he does not respond to Doug either, but I am told that takes time.
What are you growing this year? And if you share your space with an animal, how do you keep them out of the beds? I am open to any method that does not involve a taller fence, as I am running out of materials.