With the warm weather upon us, chances are you’re spending more time outdoors and if you have a garden its so worth making the most of it. Maybe you’ve recently moved into a new house and the garden needs work, or perhaps you already have an ok space but have never really done much with it. You might currently have a bit of a jungle going on and have decided that nows the time to sort it out! Either way, here are some ideas for making the best use out of that valuable outside space. 

Consider the layout

It's important to come up with a practical layout for your garden if you want to maximise its potential. As you create zones, think about how you'll use the space. Set aside places for gardening, eating, playing, and relaxing. By doing so, you can effectively design your garden and achieve a pleasing balance between form and function.

Add dining and seating

We all enjoy eating and drinking outside in the warmer months, drive past any restaurant, cafe or pub on a nice day and you’ll see how everyone flocks to the outdoor seating! But you dont need to go out to enjoy this, a pleasant outdoor dining experience can be had in your own garden with the right dining layout. Create a welcoming dining space with a sturdy table and comfy chairs, arranged on a beautifully put together deck or patio. Outdoor lighting, such string lights or lanterns, can elevate the mood. Potted plants and flowers can also give a beautiful touch. Go a step further by adding an outdoor fireplace or even a full outdoor kitchen if you like to host guests or sit outside often- Belgard has ideas for going about this.

Grow your own

If you're looking to connect with nature and start up a new hobby that's great for both mental and physical health then consider starting a vegetable or herb garden. Growing your own produce means you can enjoy organic fruits and veggies with your meals as well as giving you a rewarding and educational experience. Even if you have limited space, container gardening or vertical gardening techniques are great options to make the most of what you have.

Make it relaxing

Your garden should be a place of relaxation and tranquillity. If you designate a cosy corner or create a secluded nook where you can unwind and recharge then this will be a great use of space in your garden. You could install a comfortable seating area with weather resistant cushions and a shady spot to provide respite from the sun. Add beautiful fragrant flowers and calming greenery, and perhaps a wind chime or water feature so you can enjoy some beautiful smells, sights and sounds. .

Make it fun for kids

If you have children then it makes sense to create a garden with elements that spark joy and entertainment for your little ones. Swings, slides, climbing frames, treehouses, sandpits and more are all things to consider. If you dont like the look of colourful metal or plastic frames, consider spray painting them a pretty colour or even have a carpenter create something custom out of wood. Its expensive but will really last and look beautiful in your garden as well as being fun. 

Consider the wildlife

Your garden should be a haven for pollinators, ideally we will all think about wildlife when we put our gardens together. Plant a variety of flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. When you provide food and habitat for these creatures, you'll help support the local ecosystem and contribute to the pollination of plants in your area. It's a win-win situation for you and the environment.

When you bring a pet home for the first time, it’s an exciting moment. It’s not hard to see the love and joy a pet can bring to your household, often completing your family unit as a respected member, not just a furry friend that you tolerate within the household.

That said, it’s true that pets and human owners have different living needs. It’s unlikely that you’ll be pulling up a chair for your dog at the dinner table, for example. As such, it’s good to invest in a few accommodations not only to make the home more comfortable for them to occupy, but to protect them from the wider home itself and any unseen dangers that may affect them.

In this post, we’ll list nine of those possible decisions. You could use all of them or only one, but the important takeaway here is to think about how your home could possibly affect your pet, and how they could affect it in turn. Don’t worry - because a properly domesticated pet will certainly feel at home if some of these adjustments are made:

1. Internal Safety Gates

Internal safety gates may be more familiar to you when raising children - after all, a crawling toddler is perhaps one of the most curious beings on the planet, and that’s not always safe. Adding safety gates to the top and bottom of your staircase is an obvious safety measure, but you can also adjust them and fit them in certain door frames, too. For example, you might have internal safety gates at the door of your bathroom as you wash your child.

However, these are worthwhile tools for puppies, and even kittens that haven’t quite learned how to jump yet. Allowing small pets to climb up and down the steps in your household may seem like fun, but those steps are quite large compared to their size, and jumping up and down inclines or declines can be damaging to their joints. They may fall. As such, safety gates can be helpful.

In addition, door closers can be an added safety mechanism that allows you to keep certain rooms off-limits. For example, a newborn lying in their cot may seem like a warm place for a cat to sit, but for obvious reasons, this can be dangerous to your child. So, making sure the door closes automatically before the cat can get in is ideal - as is your own observation and good habit-setting approach.

2. External Privacy Fences

External privacy fences, installed with robust foundations, can prevent even the most quick-to-dig dog from escaping your back or front yard. Having that protection is paramount; because you can’t always keep an eye on your dog while entertaining guests, gardening, or just letting your pet out to do their business.

Privacy fences have the added benefit of keeping others out. It’s unfortunate and disgusting, but some criminals will steal dogs and sell them on. Not giving anyone easy access to your garden is a great way to prevent that. On top of this, a dog barking that a potential intruder cannot see without climbing up the fence can seem way more threatening than it actually is; even if your doggo is one of the most tepid creatures around and would likely lose a fight with its own shadow.

3. A Hygienic Bowl Area

Pets need to eat, and boy do they remind you of it. It’s good to separate a clean, dependable, and secure space where they can head to on a regular routine to eat. Many people tend to use their garage floor spaces for that and a cat litter tray, or a utility room with laminate or vinyl flooring that remains very easy to clean.

A hygienic bowl area can also be cared for quite easily, preventing drips and spills as dogs and cats are both likely to cause at least once in a while. Of course, it’s always worth separating the eating space from the cat litter space, at least on opposite walls of a mid-sized room, or in different rooms entirely.

4. Doggy Beds & Comforts

It’s nice to give your pet a specific place to relax and sleep. A dog or cat bed will give them a continual place to rest their head and feel a small sense of dominion over, somewhere they can retire to when you’ve told them off or when they need to get that ever-needed nap in.

This also has the added benefit of preventing them from finding refuge sleeping where they shouldn’t. Cats are harder to manage, as they will sleep on anything, the more inappropriate the better. Dogs, on the other hand, can be trained to not sleep in certain areas like on your futon or bed. This latter point is essential, as it’s actually quite unhygienic to let your dog sleep on your bed with you. But near your bed in their own custom pad? Well, that’s much better, keeps you safe, and you can rest easy in one another’s comfort.

5. Dog & Cat Doors

If you trust your little pooch or feline to come and go as they please, understanding that your garden is primed for their safety, then sliding patio doors with built-in dog door or cat door options can be very helpful.

This way, they can come and go, you can lock the door at night to prevent any strays from coming in, and in general, you won’t have to keep letting your pet outside to perform their business, because they can do so themselves. 

Note that this does have the side responsibility of watching out for other trespassers, but for such a nice door and added peace of mind, this rare occurrence is more than worth it.

6. Throws & Covers

It’s good to have pet-resistant and machine-washable furniture covers should you need them, particularly if you have certain implements like faux-leather sofas that are absolutely scratchable.

Throwing a cover over can protect your item from being torn, even if your pets are relatively well-behaved for the most part. We all know how cats like to pad and pad to prepare their own sleeping area, but that’s not always helpful for furniture.

Sure, keep setting your boundaries with your pet, but understand that when you’re out, or when they feel particularly pet-like, they may forget your instructions. At least with this measure, you can prevent this annoying issue from affecting you too much as time goes by, or overly questioning purchasing that piece of vintage furniture with classic upholstery.

7. Securing Electrical Outlets

One thing most people know is that pets like to lick. Everything and anything. While they might not put as much in their mouths as babies do given they lack opposable thumbs, they’ll still give this task a good go.

That’s not always helpful when it comes to lickable household objects that could harm them. Most electricians won’t design your power outlets to be lickable, and so it’s important to do that work for them.

Thankfully, this is as easy as placing plug-socket defenders in unused plug areas. It also means cable managing your appliances that are plugged in to prevent cords from being yanked out or tripped over as easily - we all know the damage an excited dog can cause when hurtling through your household.

8. Store Cleaning & Chemical Items Safely

Dogs will eat anything. That’s not helpful if they accidentally spill laundry fabric condition all over your floor after gaining access to a cupboard. The last thing you want to see is your dog walk in with his tail between his legs and neon blue liquid all around his or her mouth.

While it’s true they won’t be able to access the cupboards like an enthusiastic toddler can, it’s important to tighten all of your cleaning products, to store them safely, and to place catches on your cupboards as appropriate. This way, even the smartest dog with the best motor control over their naughty paw will have a hard time eating items you’ve purchased from the household section.

It’s also important to note that your pets absolutely understand where you keep the food. They listen out for the jingle of the bowl as you prepare them a meal, which is why they come running around the corner as they hear it. As such, make sure this is under lock and key too, lest your dog eat fifteen pounds of kibble and require a trip to your local vet. Unfortunately, you can teach a dog many tricks, but never portion control.

9. Pet-Safe Garden Plants

Some flowers in your garden won’t be that healthy for your pet. Pets will eat almost anything, particularly dogs, and that’s not always good for them. It’s good to opt for plants that are non-toxic, such as spider plants, sunflowers, rosemary, snapdragons, and more that fit on this list.

That’s not to say that your pet is going to eat your entire garden, but in the off chance they nibble at it, you’ll have countered that with foresight.

With this advice, you’re sure to pet-proof your home in the best possible way. We’re certain you’ll make a great owner.

You need to feel comfortable with the dog you have but you should also ensure that they themselves are as comfortable as possible. You need to do that by ensuring that your dog is healthy and happy, and that means knowing the signs that your dog is at their best. From using websites like https://www.nextritionpet.com/ to research the next level of pet food, to ensuring that you are taking your dog on regular walks, being proactive about your dog and their health is vital so that they live long, happy and healthy lives. With this article, you can look out for their physical fitness as much as their mental wellbeing. Here are the top signs that your dog is a healthy one!

1. They are happy and playful. A happy dog is regularly playful. They’ll be happy to see you - visibly so - and they will love to enjoy play sessions and walks with you. Those tail wags will be flying for a reason and it’s because they want to be in your presence. A healthy dog is active and will communicate that with you by bowing to the ground, licking your face and dancing around your feet. If you notice your dog happily jumping about your feet, you’re going to know they are happier to be around you than anything else. 

2. Their skin and coat is healthy and soft. Stressed out dogs have bland coats that are dull and dry. The overall conditions of their skin and coat will give you a good indication of their health and if you want to ensure that your dog is in good health, you have to keep an eye on their coat. Whether they have short or long hair, you want their coat to be pliable and smooth as opposed to coarse and brittle. There shouldn't be bald spots or dandruff, either. It shouldn't be greasy or flaky and their skin should be soft. Regular grooming and checking should help you to understand whether your dog is going to have any issues.

3. They poop. It’s an obvious one, but a dog that isn't pooping, is pooping too much or is making runny poops is not a dog that is in the best health. Healthy bowel movements are a must for a happy and healthy pup, and that means looking for a slightly firm consistency with a medium colour. There shouldn't be any worms, eggs, mucus or blood in their stool and it shouldn't be discolored in any way. If your dogs’ bowel movements have changed, you need to consider whether it’s due to stress or allergies, parasites, infections and more. If there is a disease present, you’ll know about it rather quickly.

4. They pee! Dogs love to mark territory with their urine and it should be of a normal colour and consistency at all times, but mostly it should be regular urination. Urinary issues can cause pain and discomfort, and it should eb a yellow colour, so you know they’re not dehydrated. It shouldn't be orange as this is a good sign of jaundice and gallbladder issues, liver disease or damaged blood cells. If your dog is urinating red or pink, there could be an issue with a UTI - which isn't just a human problem! There could even be problems if your dog is urinating in the house so make a point of checking for other health issues. Pay attention to all and any changes as you’ll be able to pinpoint something early rather than too late.

5. They have shiny, clean ears. Dog ears are super sensitive and a healthy dog has clean ears that are odor free. It’s super normal for their ears to get dirty and keeping their ears clean is a part of their routine that’s vital. Grooming should always include ear cleaning as without it, they can become bunged up and infected. The skin inside their ears should be light pink and clean to the eyes, and it should smell good. Any foul odors should not be present at all, and there should be no hair blocking their ears, either. Any signs of inflammation and redness should be checked with a vet right away. There should also be no blood or discharge present.

6. Your dog sleeps well. Without sleep, your dog cannot recharge or repair and so you need your dog to be well-rested. Dogs do sleep way more than we do, and a healthy dog often naps and sleeps up to 16 hours a day. A growing puppy sleeps longer than an adult dog but if your dog starts sleeping abnormally long hours, that also needs checking out. If they don't sleep enough they may be uncomfortable or distressed and if you notice any changes that are out of the ordinary, then you should get them checked at the vet as soon as possible. 

7. Their eyes are bright - and wet. Dogs eyes should be clear, shiny and without any discharge. They should have wet and not dry, scratchy eyes, and they should never have a yellow or red tinge in their eyes, either. They shouldn't have any eyelashes rubbing their eyeballs and they shouldn't be agitated because of pain. If you notice any changes in their eyes, speak to the vet because any issues can cause blindness.

8. They’re energetic. Happy dogs are bouncy dogs and healthy dogs should be appropriately energetic. They should want to spend more time with you and they should greet you at the door, be happy to see you and be ready for playtime when they spot you. Appropriate energy levels are easy to notice due to breed, and you will tell if there is something wrong with your dog because they will be much less energetic than you think.

9. They’re a healthy weight. Your dog shouldn't be too fat, nor should they be too thin. Happy and healthy dogs have a balanced weight and you should keep their diet as balanced as possible to ensure that this is the case! Too many unhealthy treats leads to obesity and obese dogs can develop some serious problems. If you notice that your dog has dropped a lot of weight, you should take them for a check up.

Every dog is different, but all dogs need to be looked after properly. A happy and comfortable dog is one that is calm with their family, happy and ready to be looked after. If you look after your dog properly, they will be healthier and more in love with you than ever before. If you have a dog that seems stressed and anxious, then you need to consider what the underlying causes may be and do better for your dog in the future. The only way you’ll be able to do any of this is by keeping an eye on your pet pooch so that you can be aware of any changes that occur ASAP!