If you found your way here, chances are you love your dog like family — and you love your garden just as much. You've probably wondered, at least once, whether the two can peacefully coexist.

They absolutely can. I know because I figured out how to make it work — the hard way.

It Started With a Few Scary Moments

I didn't start Dogs and Dandelions because I had all the answers.

I started it because I didn't — and it nearly cost me.

Over the years, I've had a few really scary experiences with my own dogs and yard hazards that sent me rushing to the vet, terrified and wondering how I hadn't known sooner.

Emergency visits.

Panicked Google searches.

That awful feeling of realizing something you planted — something you thought was just pretty — had quietly become a danger to the dog you love so much. Or that sinking feeling when you find out pest control put something in your yard that was potentially deadly to your dog and you didn't even know to ask...

After those scares, I went into research mode. I researched everything — every plant, every season, every hidden hazard in a typical backyard.

I audited my own yard completely.

I learned how to create a space that was genuinely safe without ripping out everything I'd worked so hard to grow.

And somewhere along the way, I realized: if I didn't know this stuff, a lot of other dog owners probably didn't either.

That's where Dogs and Dandelions was born.

A Lifetime of Dogs (and a Yard Full of Dandelions)

Dogs have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. For the past 20 years, I've rescued dogs in need — welcoming literally hundreds of dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds into my home, my yard, and my heart while they waited for their forever families.

Working in rescue changes you.

When you open your door to dog after dog — each one with different energy, different curiosity, different habits — you quickly learn that a yard can't be safe just for your dog.

It has to be safe for any dog.

The shy senior who grazes along the fence line.

The curious puppy who thinks everything is a snack or chew toy.

The anxious rescue who digs when she's stressed or tries to hide in the most confined and small spaces.

I've had them all.

And I've spent nearly two decades making sure my yard was ready for every single one of them.

I'm also a lifelong gardener who has always believed that a yard should be beautiful AND buzzing with life. Pollinators, monarchs, native plants, and a whole lot of wildness woven in — that's my kind of outdoor space.

The idea that you have to choose between a gorgeous garden and a safe yard for your dog? That myth is kind of my personal mission to bust.

What Dogs and Dandelions Is (and Who It's For)

Dogs and Dandelions is the resource I wish I'd had before those scary moments. It's a place where dog-loving gardeners can get real, practical information about keeping their outdoor spaces safe — without the fear-mongering, without the overwhelm, and without sacrificing the garden they love.

If you're someone who:

— Loves your dog more than most people (relatable)

— Also loves your garden and wants to keep it beautiful

— Wants to stop wondering "wait, is that plant safe?"

— Maybe even wants to support pollinators and monarchs while you're at it

...then you’re in exactly the right place.

And it doesn’t stop at the garden gate. Dogs and Dandelions covers the full picture of life outdoors with your dog —

from hiking trails, parks and lakes/rivers

to natural and holistic approaches to keeping your dog healthy from the inside out. Because a truly thriving dog isn’t just about what’s in your backyard. It’s about everything you do together out in the world.

I Want You to Feel Like You Found a Friend

My goal is simple: I want you to feel like you found a friend who gets it — someone who loves their dog like family and lives for being outside, who has done the research so you don't have to start from scratch, and who will always give it to you straight.

No scary lecture. No guilt. Just good information, from someone who genuinely cares about your dog's safety and your peace of mind.

Whether you're starting from zero or just want to double-check what's already in your yard, I'm glad you're here. Dig around, grab the free guide, and let's make your outdoor space somewhere both you and your dog can truly thrive.

With so much love for dogs and dandelions,

Dogs and Dandelions