There was something surreal about watching Monty Don’s golden retriever Ned as he “designed” the dog garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show last week. The plants had been set out in pots and Ned ran around them, gambolling this way and that, nose-thrusting into plants and giving them a good sniff before bounding off to the next pot, tail à gogo, waving amid the stems.
“To keep the garden as authentic as possible, Monty enlisted the help of Ned to design the paths,” its (human) co-designer Jamie Butterworth said. You could call it designing or, indeed, just a dog running around. The RHS has a video of this (overladen with bouncy music redolent of those makeover shows) of Ned in full “design” mode. The humans had thought Ned would design curves and “sweeps” but instead he just came back to Monty the same way every time. Plans were duly redrawn.
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The whole enterprise that was Monty’s Dog Garden has made me wonder if we have reached peak dog-centric mode. Dogs now seem impossible to avoid. This week, on a train, I found myself sitting next to a pomeranian. These days it’s hard to know if a buggy contains a baby or a dog. Estimates of the UK dog population, which took a leap during lockdown, vary from 10.6 million (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) to 13 million (Dogs Trust). The latter survey showed the highest concentration of ownership is in Telford, with 8.2 dogs per 20 people. (Watch out for that 0.2 of a dog, it’s bound to be interesting.)
Ned with his mum Mabel and sister Isla in Don’s show garden
OLIVER DIXON/SHUTTERSTOCK
There was a huge amount of PR about Monty’s Dog Garden (because we are a dog-mad nation), but as it turned out, the garden looked remarkably like other Chelsea show gardens, with luscious dense planting that was only mildly troubled by Ned’s trails. A token Frisbee lay on the grass of what can only be called a pocket lawn. It emitted dog-friendly vibes but was hardly an eyesore.
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Most of the dog gardens that I know have a lot more than a Frisbee on show. Old bones, torn-up toys, balls everywhere. Also, most dog owners don’t have the option of a “wallow water garden” or a doghouse with room for a sofa. Nor are all dog designers as paws-off as Ned. I have friends with two golden retrievers that “design” their smallish urban garden by digging it up at every chance. The result looks mostly like a bomb site. Relaxing? Their humans didn’t think so.
Monty Don and Ned in their dog garden at Chelsea Flower Show
JACK HILL FOR THE TIMES
Will our gardens really be going to the dogs? Here are some pet ideas (and peeves):
• The lawn. It was small but maybe this could be the start of something larger. In this case, there were even carefully tended “weeds” — daisies, dandelions and clover, painstakingly transplanted from RHS Wisley. Could the lawn be making a comeback?
• Desire lines. Most pet owners will be unsurprised by Ned’s path designs. Dogs and cats (and humans, if we are allowed) usually do take the most straightforward path. You see these “desire lines” everywhere once you start looking. In my Bakewell garden, the cats “designed” their own route, creating an irritating diagonal path through the lawn. The night-time badger also had one.
• Shade. This seems obvious but, especially with the weather getting hotter and drier, it provides another good reason (if you need one) to include a tree in every garden.
• Zones. Some pets need their own zones. Our rabbits, Sherbert and Candy, had to be given their own area to dig, dig, dig. They were garden wreckers.
• Good dog (and cat) planting: The key word here is “robust” and plants such as grasses can withstand snouts and tail action. The RHS dog-friendly list includes rosemary, basil, thyme and lemon balm. For cats, there’s always nepeta, though it can make your cat go a bit crazy.
• Bad dog planting. There is a long list of plants that are toxic to dogs including daffodils, lily of the valley, foxgloves, alliums including onions, garlic and leeks, rhododendrons and azaleas.
Here’s one prediction: the subject of dogs in public gardens is not going away. The irony is, of course, that dogs aren’t allowed at Chelsea (except on press day). But the RHS is trialling “doggie days” at some of its gardens, including “walkies” evenings, after the general human public leaves. Some gardeners will despair, others rejoice. The debate is on.
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This week’s tips for gardeners
What to plant
Cornflowers. An annual summer staple that adds zing to pots and borders. Dogs, who mainly see in blues and yellows, may like this one too.
What to book
Sandringham Flower Show, July 23 A royal event in every way, which attracts about 20,000 visitors a year (this is the 142nd Norfolk event). Show gardens, talks, events, competitions, trade stands, craft marquees and entertainment, including a military band. Tickets £19. See sandringhamflowershow.org.uk
