Cats Crazy About The Garden – Caroline Benedict Smith

There’s something pretty special about sharing the garden with your favourite cat. If you Google ‘Cats’ and ‘Garden’ you will be met with a barrage of how to keep cats OUT of your garden. So let’s instead look at ways in which we can attract our furry friends to ‘Garden With Us’ ……..

We have two cats, they are British Shorthairs. When we brought them home as kittens, we were encouraged by the previous owners not to let them outside of the house. Unimaginable!! They are now 6 years old and the cat flap is constantly on the go.

Here are ten favourite garden spots for Sherman, Suki and friends….

Cat On A Garden Pos -t Climbing High - Caroline Benedict Smith Garden Design Cheshire

CLIMBING HIGH. MANDU SURVEYS HIS TERRITORY FROM ATOP A GARDEN POST. ALL CATS LOVE AN ELEVATED VIEW . THIS CAN BE ANYTHING FROM A TREE, A SHED ROOF, TABLE, CHAIR. BETTER STILL THE TOP OF A SUNNY LOG STORE OR A WARM SUN-LOUNGER

Having a Snooze - Cats In The Garden - Caroline Benedict Smith Garden Design Cheshire

A GOOD PLACE FOR A SNOOZE. WARM BARK CHIPPINGS AND THE SHADE OF A HOSTA…..AS CATS TYPICALLY SLEEP UP TO 80% OF THEIR DAY, THIS IS WORTH CONSIDERING

Having a Snooze 2 - Cats In The Garden - Caroline Benedict Smith Garden Design Cheshire

ANOTHER GOOD PLACE TO SNOOZE. A WARM (ELEVATED) STONE WALL ON A SUNNY SPRING MORNING

Having a Snooze 3 - Cats In The Garden - Caroline Benedict Smith Garden Design Cheshire

SMUDGE KEEPS HIS COOL IN THE SHADE OF A FERN

Garden Cat takes refuge in the Greenhouse - Caroline Benedict Smith Garden Design Cheshire

THE GREENHOUSE IS A GREAT PLACE FOR SHERMAN TO COMBINE SECURITY AND WARMTH

Cats in the Garden - Camouflage - Caroline Benedict Smith Garden Design Cheshire

A LITTLE WOODLAND CAMOUFLAGE HELPS MAISIE WITH HER HUNTING SKILLS

A Cat Squeezes Into A Garden Trug - Caroline Benedict Smith Garden Design Cheshire

THE GARDEN TRUG IS AN IDEAL SPOT. CATS LOVE TO SQUEEZE INTO SMALL SPACES. GARDEN POTS ARE ANOTHER FAVOURITE, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE FULL OF SOFT FOLIAGE!

A Cat Drinks In the Garden Pond - Caroline Benedict Smith Garden Design Cheshire

A STONEY BEACH AT THE EDGE OF A GARDEN POND COMES IN VERY HANDY FOR A DRINK

A Cat Admiring The Flowers In The Garden - Caroline Benedict Smith Garden Design Cheshire

I LIKE TO THINK THAT SUKI IS ADMIRING THE WINTER CYCLAMEN

Neko admires the daffodils - Cats in the Garden - Caroline Benedict Smith Garden Design Cheshire

NEKO WILD ABOUT THE POTS OF NARCISSI TETE A TETE

Last but not least is the amazing Catmint. Nepeta ‘Walkers Low’ is my favourite variety.

It has an intense blue flower which can last for months over the summer and cats go wild for it. The decision then is how
to keep your cats happy whilst deterring them from completely flattening and rolling in your beautiful summer flowers…..

Take a look at our solution in the video below where we deadheaded some of it…….

Catmint - intense blue - Caroline Benedict Smith Garden Design Cheshire

With thanks to Suki and Sherman and their friends Mandu, Smudge, Neko and Maisie