Advice on garden flower bed?

talksr

Hi there,
I recently moved into my new home. I have a small patch of garden to the front of my property.

To one side, I have small green plants, to the other...grass.
The local cats have taken to the grass and are leaving disgusting faeces all over it. It really doesn't make the place look very attractive.

I am thinking of doing something similar with the grass to what the builders have put in on the other side of my house.

Can anyone advise what sort of plants these are and I will get some and set to work with my trowel, spade and bark chippings?

Many thanks in advance.

Plants the builders put in:

..there is no cat poo here, as the cats must not like walking amongst these plants!

Cats' current toilet area/grass:

keith969

Plant anything prickly, for example pyracantha. Cats will then avoid the area.

TheCyclingProgrammer

The plants in the top photo look like some kind of euphorbia based on the foliage but hard to say which type until it’s in flower. Careful with the sap, it’s a skin irritant.

dunroving

keith969 wrote: »

Plant anything prickly, for example pyracantha. Cats will then avoid the area.

+1 for pyracantha. Easy to maintain, grows fairly quickly, and has a network of stems that will prevent feline paws from reaching the soil to scrabble around. Also provides a little architectural interest and has berries for wildlife.

Nile

Hi, we move threads if we think they’ll get more help elsewhere (please read the forum rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board. If you have any questions about this policy please email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.

I’ve moved your thread from the ‘In my home’ board to the ‘Greenfingered’ board, where it is better suited.

Regards

Nile

Katiehound

I also think you have some sort of euphorbia. I think the cats will keep well away from it.

The wood chippings or gravel will be as enticing to cats as the grass! They also love freshly dug soil which is soft and crumbly! One of my friends spends her time drying and blitzing citrus peel to keep the felines off. They don't like that smell.

A couple of different Euonymus would look nice. There are some pretty variegated varities, on flat ground they provide ground cover, if planted by a wall they lean up it. In time you wouldn't see the ground

If you plant pyracantha and need to prune it- be warned- lethal thorns. I'm not so worried about the cats but you . When I had one I always managed to get the thorns in my fingers - even when wearing strong gardening gloves!

Davesnave

Next to the wall will probably be quite a dry challenging environment which is why the builder has stuck a tough euphorbia there, but without thinking of the consequences for children picking it and getting skin irritation.


Any low growing tough plants will do to keep the cats off; they don't need to be prickly, so long as the bare earth is covered.

Farway

Not sure what the box in the picture is, but if a meter or something that requires access by others then a prickly plant may not be wise

I would avoid too low growing plants, IME cats will just poo on top of them

Some ferns will stand dry conditions and neglect

Have a trawl through the RHS plant finder select your criteria and choose from there

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-Form

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Looks like the gas meter.

I'd stick in something like lavender, rosemary or other woody herbs that thrive on almost pure sand (which is very likely what's underneath the lump of turf they've thrown in the space). They aren't harmful to any wildlife (or people) and I'm yet to find a cat doing anything other than sleeping amongst the branches as the plants get older.