I'm a new resident of Florida and know very little about native plantings or what goes well together..  I'm stumbling around trying to find pleasing plants that will also be pleasing and safe for my resident dogs.  I am a foster home for displaced shetland sheepdogs and usually have between eight and twelve dogs in residence at a time. 

My biggest problem other than choosing safe plants for the dogs are the bugs...  Ticks and fleas.  I have been told to use a mixture of garlic oil, dish soap and water and spray it on my shrubs, lawn and flowers...  It is said that the sulfur smell in the garlic will repel the bugs.  I don't want to kill anything I have in the yard and would like some advise from some veteran gardeners before I use this spray on lawn and shrubs. Or would it be better for me to plant some garlic  cloves in the gardens within the fenced area where the dogs are.  Would that be enough to repel?

Thank you so much in advance for your help

Regards

Judy and the Rescue Squad