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Completely useless Gardener

amitoothamitooth Posts: 3
in Plants

Hi There, 

I am in no shape or form a gardener.. looking for a little advice... I have two cats who spend a lot of time in the garden and want to plant something that's going to be planted in large pots, easy to maintain and of course harmless to my two cats. I've googled and there is a lot of conflicting information. Can anyone offer any tips? Secondly.. I have a large bush that flowers once a year and I have no idea on what it actually is? Can anyone identify it? 

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Posts

  • BLTBLT Posts: 525

    Hi That looks a lovely bush, it looks a bit like a Rhodedendron kind of thing..  Sorry to be a bit vague only I had eye surgery 3 days ago and things are still a bit blurry for me..  But I can see the keyboard as its bigger.. 

    Your cats will love the shade of that bush, if and when the weather warms up.    The good thing with cats is they largely ignore pots and planters.. But often lie between then...   They do not tend to dig or mess in their own backyard either..  I guess  get a few Tomato plants and some compost they do wonders in containers .. 

    If you are a Cat person you will have no doubt see the effect Catnip has on them...  Do not be temted to grow it in your garden lol or the word will get round to all the other moggies in the neighbourhood will arrive,  and you will have a garden full of cats that will dig and defacate in your garden... 

       Good luck with your new project.. Keep it organic that will be safe for all bees, animals etc.. image

  • AuntyRachAuntyRach Posts: 4,981

    Hi. Firstly - that plant is a Rhododendron - it will bloom around this time of year. 

    As for plants for pots - I would have a think about  what you actually like the look of. Do you want evergreen, flowers, wildlife friendly etc. Consider where the pot shop will be situated - sunny, shady etc. 

    Once you have a 'wish list' then you can research if those plants are safe for the cats.

    I'm sure you will receive ideas and advice on here. Good luck. 

    Last edited: 10 May 2017 13:16:27

    My garden and I live in South Wales. 
  • RobmarstonRobmarston Posts: 335

    That's a rhododendron. 

  • amitoothamitooth Posts: 3

    Thank you!!

  • BobFlannigonBobFlannigon Posts: 619

    My experience of cats, outdoors, is that they largely eat grass and leave everything else alone.  Rhododenrons are poisonous to cats if they eat them.

  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    But they won't be daft enough to do that!

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,218

    There is no way a cat would nibble a Rhododendron, let alone eat enough of it to cause any harm. There are lists of plants poisonous to cats out there, but I wouldn't give it any thought. You can't control what your neighbours grow after all, so why get too hung up on it. I mean, one site says 'don't grow ivy!' Ivy grows everywhere, and cats somehow manage commit ivy-based suicide. These articles are excessively fear-mongering.

    Unfortunately cats are infinitely more likely to end up squished under the wheels of your neighbour's Nissan Juke than die of poisoning.

  • AngieRAngieR Posts: 347

    I have 3 cats and between them my neighbours have 7, so that is 10 cats that frequent all our gardens and I've never once worried about what's poisonous or not.  I agree completely with WillDB's comments and as Hogweed says they are not that daft.   

  • B3B3 Posts: 25,155

    I've had cats and they're not stupid. They wouldn't even eat cheap cat food. Don't worry about them eating random plants.

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • amitoothamitooth Posts: 3

    Thanks everyone! 

    I am not worried about my cats around this bush.. they practically live under it during summer.

    I was asking what it may be, so I could look for similar to add to the garden.

    I planted two plants the other day (anemones) and they've come up as toxic also... I'm not digging them back out! :-)

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