Between her calla lilies and amaryllis, Susan Driskell put a tombstone.
It's a memory of plants passed and a warning to the canine culprits.
"Well I saw it happen several times and we're dog owners ourselves so we know what dogs like to do."
Yes...Driskell said her yellow flowers were done in by a certain yellow liquid.
So she decided to do something about it, "I took these little signs and discreetly asked people to please watch where their dogs were tinkling."
It's a plea to please prevent your pets from peeing in her yard.
But is Fido really at fault?
We set out to verify Driskell's claim: Can dog urine kill plants?
We asked a UT Veterinary Internist Dr. India Lane who has a specialization in urology and turfgrass science specialist Tom Samples.
Samples said byproducts of the urine could kill grass, "Basically the urine is actually toxic to the leaf tissue."
The acid and salt released can bleach plants and grass brown like a fertilizer burn.
"Nitrogen itself is a fertilizer," said Dr. Lane. "But if you put too much fertilizer in one spot than you're going to overdo it and kill the grass."
So short of putting up signs in your yard, what can you do to prevent this from happening to you?
There are dog dietary supplements that claim to cure pee problems, but Lane warns buyers should beware. "The long term effects of some of that on the dog's health would be what concerns me the most."
Both Lane and Samples agree, the best bet is to water down the whizz or just let it be.
"As the turf specialist at the University of Tennessee, I kind of let nature take its course," Samples said.
Back at Driskell's garden, she said the signs worked.
"My plants are flourishing."
Although she said she's still skeptical, but maybe more of the merits of this news story than of the dogs next door.
So we can VERIFY, indeed, dog urine can kill your plants in the long run if left unchecked -- but it's not a death sentence for your roses if you're able to take a few precautions.