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A grandma in glasses waters orange and purple pansies with a metal can while a dark red Golden Retriever sits close by. 16 / 29

Grandma Was Watering the Pansies, but She Wasn't Smiling at the Flowers

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The raised garden beds are just starting to fill in, and Ruth is making her rounds with a dented galvanized watering can. Glasses perched on her nose, braid hanging down the front of her denim shirt, she tips the long spout so a fine shower falls over a cluster of orange and purple pansies. She is smiling, but not at the flowers. Rusty has planted himself right next to the bed, deep red coat glowing against the green, chin lifted and eyes locked on hers. Behind them, a pot of basil sits by the door, a pair of gardening gloves rests on the edge of a planter, and the whole yard smells like wet soil.

Gardening with a dog is a pleasure, but it is worth knowing which plants and products are safe. Many popular garden plants can be harmful if chewed, including lilies of various kinds, foxglove, oleander, azaleas, sago palms, and daffodil bulbs. Cocoa bean mulch can also be dangerous, and many fertilizers, slug baits, and weed killers should be kept well away from pets. Pansies are generally considered low risk, but it is still smart to discourage digging and nibbling in flower beds. Raised beds and simple borders help. If you are unsure about a particular plant, your vet or a pet poison hotline can tell you.

Rusty does not seem interested in eating anything today. He is mostly interested in standing as close to Ruth as possible, which is a garden tradition all its own. The pansies will just have to share the attention.

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