The first line of defense to keep your yard safe for your pets and pollinators is to start with a pesticide-free yard. Your best weapon to keep your yard pesticide-free? Mulch!

Click on the Articles tab in this section for detailed information on a variety of pesticide-free topics.

This section has a number of articles to help you garden successfully with pets. We do have a general list of toxic plants here. Since different animals behave differently to different plants, we do not maintain a comprehensive list of plants that are poisonous to various domestic animals. For that level of detailed advice, check out the ASPCA website.

Click on the Articles tab in this section for detailed information on a variety of pet topics.

Coming soon!

From deer to voles, the prairies have a lot of wonderful creatures that are not so welcome in our gardens.

The number one question in farmyards is how to I protect my garden from dear? The short answer is to install a good fence. Deer are drawn to gardens, especially in winter, and they seem to love your favorite or most expensive plant the most. "Quick fixes" like soap, hair or homemade potions simply don't work in any meaningful way. A dog isn't guaranteed to be a good deterrent and if it is, it may be injured by the deer. Deer will eat anything if they're hungry enough, including most plants on "deerproof plants" lists. The only truly "deer-proof" plants are poisonous (though likely still lovely), which really doesn't help you grow a vegetable garden. So that brings us back to the one guarantee: a tall, sturdy fence.

Click on the Articles tab in this section for detailed information on a variety of unwelcome animal topics.