A safe walk in the park 2: plants your house pets can eat.

In one of my earlier article i wrote about plants to keep away from your dogs/cats . i felt i needed to find plants for my army of pets to go grazing in.Even though i lost one of my dogs to plant poisons iv got 3 adorable dogs a 1 cat and a nursery in my backyard...nothing makes me more happy than the 4 of them waddling away among the plants.

There are 11plants,grasses that iv identified over the years that house pets simply adore im listing a few of them ..and have also mentioned the basic care tips for the plants.

1)Catnip(Nepeta catoria):Cats go wild for catnip , rolling around on the plant and getting very playful. The plant's precise effect on cats remains a mystery, but there is no question that cats adore it.This easy-to-grow herb tolerates a wide variety of soil types, although it performs best in well-drained, sandy soil of average fertility. Choose a planting site that receives full sun for the strongest aroma from your catnip plants. The plants may tolerate light shade, but will not grow as profusely or flower as abundantly as plants grown in full sun.

2)umbrella (papyrus):The Schefflera is the "dwarf" brother to the old time umbrella plant – Schefflera actinophylla. Today, you find one variety of the large Schefflera grown called ‘Amate” however the “Dwarf Umbrella” has quite a few varieties and is easy to find at the nursery.Remember when caring for your dwarf umbrella / schefflera
-Don’t keep the plant wet
-Place the plant in as bright an area as you can
-Watch out for mites
-Don’t be afraid to prune when needed

3)catmint (Nepeta faassenii )Nepeta, or catmint, is a member of the mint family. It is an extremely easy growing plant with few pests or problems. The billowing foliage is topped with spikes of flowers in early summer with repeat blooms throughout the season.Nepeta has slightly aromatic grey-green foliage that has a delicate, lacy appearance. The flowers can be white, pink or lavender-blue, and bloom on long spikes. Nepeta has a somewhat sprawling growth habit, making it a nice plant for edges and along paths.

4)Bigonia:They like to have soil that is well-drained, so starting out by preparing your bed with peat moss and a mix of sand and soil will work well. They like to be in the sun but not too much sun.You may want to fertilize occasionally but there are no strict requirements that you do so. Any balanced fertilizer will work nicely. Once the begonias start to bloom you are in for a real treat, because they will not stop blooming until the rains...

5)Durva Cynodon dactylon :The Sanskrit word durva literally means that which is cut or eaten by the animals. It is the most sacred plant of India next to tulasi.Durva grows wild, throughout India and is commonly cultivated as lawns, for decorative purpose. It is a perennial creeping grass, rooting at every node, forming matted tufts.Durva is astringent and sweet in taste , sweet in the post digestive effect and has cold potency . It alleviates kapha and pitta dosas. It possesses light and oily attributes. It is used in skin diseases, blood disorders, thirst and burning sensation in the body

6)Fish tail fern(Cyrtomium falcatum):Many fern lovers place use ferns in the landscape to add some green while not worrying about berries other plants may produce that could potentially be harmful for local wildlife or neighborhood children. Their beauty helps make any corner of the landscape look beautiful.Most ferns don’t require lots of fertilizer or plant food, just good moisture in the soil, suitable temperatures, and enough light for photosynthesis. Keep your garden of ferns in an area close to your home or under a tree to provide plenty of moisture.

7)Jacob's ladder:Pedilanthus tithymaloides has been evaluated for use in controlling the organisms that cause malaria,1 schistosomiasis, and tuberculosis. It's been looked into as a possible renewable fuel source. Medical science is exploring it as the source of interesting anti-inflammatory drugs, or as a general antibacterial / antimicrobial.Humidity, Temperature, Grooming: All pretty much non-issues. Temperature, remember, is important because it's necessary for the pink color to show up , but they seem to be capable of tolerating temperatures down to about freezing

8)Rosemary(Rosmarinus officinalis)Rosemary is one of those wonderful herbs that makes a beautiful ornamental plant as well as a welcome culinary seasoning. Its Latin name, Rosmarinus officinalis, means "dew of the sea"The evergreen shrub originated in the Mediterranean area, but it is today cultivated almost everywhere in the world, primarily for its aromatic leaves.Rosemary needs full sun, and a sandy, well-limed soil, but it can also be wintered indoors. Rosemary generally grows best in light, well-drained, rather dry soil; rosemary is extremely susceptible to infestations of scale, mealy bugs and spider mites, and to root rot in wet soil, and these are the conditions one must be constantly aware of when one is cultivating the shrub.

9)Spider plant(Chlorophytum comosum) :Possibly the most popular of all houseplants, spider plant is a grasslike, clump forming, evergreen perennial in the lily family The Chlorophytum plant originates from South Africa .Grows in most locations though its variegation is most pronounced when the plant is near a window.If you keep your plants in proper condition, you will soon notice spider "˜babies' forming on your spider plant. These babies look like little miniature spider plants suspended from a longer branch of the plant.

10)lemon grass(Cymbopogan flexuosus):Lemongrass is native to the Philippines. It is widely used as a herb in Asian cuisine.The crop grows well in both tropical and subtropical , ideal conditions for growing lemon grass are warm and humid climate with sufficient sunshine and rainfall ,Lemon grass can grow well over medium fertile soils and moderate irrigation. Well drained sandy loam is most suitable for the growth of the plant . It can be grown on a variety of soils ranging from loam to poor laterite. Calcareous and water logged soils should be avoided as they are unsuitable for cultivation.

11)Cannabis sativa:im not going to tell you how i kow animals love this plant but they do...wild animals like elaphants,rabbits are known to graze this herb.its seed, chiefly used as caged-bird feed, is a valuable source of protein.

most of these plats are freely available at the nursery and super easy to maintain(exept begonias that easily rot during the rains in Mumbai).these are the plants that my animals love...do let me kow if ay of your furry little friends have some more exotic vegetarian tastes id love to serve it to my animals for their daily chew.