A dog named Maple is charming people online after her gardening habits have gone viral.
What happened?
One Washington gardener shared their unusual weed-clearing strategy: letting their dog Maple loose in the yard.
The gardener shared a video of Maple tending to plants in Reddit's r/vegetablegardening community.
"People were asking how I keep up with the weeds," they said. "I have a Maple."
(Click here if the embedded video does not appear.)
According to the gardener, Maple leaves the vegetables alone and focuses on the grass. The footage showed her roaming through a neat raised-bed garden, which led the poster to call her "a very good garden gnome."
Why does it matter?
Growing food at home can help families save money on produce, especially as grocery prices remain high, and many gardeners say homegrown fruits and vegetables taste better than store-bought alternatives.
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There are personal benefits, too. Gardening can support mental health by reducing stress and providing a calming outdoor routine, while the digging, planting, watering, and weeding offer light physical activity.
While not every gardener has a Maple, there are other no-chemical approaches to yard care. Keeping on top of weeds by pulling them by hand or laying down cardboard below the soil when starting a raised bed can help prevent the pesky plants from popping up.
What are people saying?
"Good girl, Maple!" said one commenter who was charmed by the dog. "Hopefully she gets lots of scratches, walks, and treats as payment for her hard work."
Another joked, "I needed a Maple. Instead I have a spinach thief."
One commenter offered a possible reason Maple likes the grass, writing: "Dogs are omnivores, and are highly sensitive to the natural sugars in grass; so early, fresh grass is actually like a delicious treat for puppies!"
One user even warned the OP to "please be careful so she doesn't eat any tomato plants (nightshade family) or any other toxic plants."
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