Saturday was spent continuing to clear the shrubs and trees along the drive of the pesky Morning Glories. Progress is slow, and my aches and pains are a reminder that I am not as young as I once was.
An impromptu trip to the nursery was fortuitous. The Highbush Blueberries were in stock, and going fast. I picked up 12; six for each raised bed where the blackberries were unceremoniously removed from their resting place in the Memorial Garden. There are four different varieties which will keep us in blueberries from early to late season – assuming success.
This is not a simple plop in the ground operation. The Highbush Blueberries can be grown in our area, but they still require extra care. They demand somewhat acidic soil and good drainage. Our raised bed will help with drainage; mounds running the length of the bed will assist. We’ll amend the soil to make it more acidic, incorporating compost and sand as well. I read that coffee grounds placed at the bottom of each planting hole can also help with the ph level. Guess it can’t hurt.
Finally, we are advised to mulch with a layer of pine straw – a luxury around here that has to be shipped in. These simple looking shoots should come with a difficulty label rating, like those projects you have to assemble. But we’re accustomed to handling things with extra care around here.
These sweet pups are breeder dog rescues. The come to us having spent their whole lives in the production of puppies. Unaccustomed to human interaction, building trust is a painfully slow process.
Chris and Steve dedicated a good portion of their morning to coaxing them out to sit in the sun, while learning that a human touch could be kind and comforting.
Kylo and Rose have both had recent surgeries to address long neglected issues.
“This is what you should do;
love the Earth
and sun and the animals…”
~ Walt Whitman
We will love them all at Homeward Bound.
Gardens For Goldens 
Golden pups and blueberries – what a gorgeous combination!
🙂 I know the pups are in good hands. Let’s hope we don’t disappoint with the blueberries!
OMG, beautiful work on garden and those sweet dogs.
🙂 Thank you for visiting with us!
I pray for the new arrivals to find safety and refuge filled with love!
We will take that prayer! Thank you 🙂
We have a Golden Retriever too,( can see some photos throughout my blog posts) and I don’t know how a human being can be so cruel.These dog are so kind and loving and they would do everything to please people. I admire you for your work.
We stop the cruelty by educating people about responsible breeding the the joy of older dogs. Spread the word 🙂
Separately, I admire you for your strength and journey to find joy again. There are no words, except that I suspect your son would want you to live your life fully until you are all reunited again. Blessings to you, Claudia.
Thank you so much for your comforting words and keep up the work, as I said hats off for you guys..
Best of luck with the plants and, of course, with the poor pups that have just come in. Just hate the puppy mills. So sad and takes so much time, patience and love to get these dogs to trust humans again. Wishing you all the success.
Hope your new pups move along well and find forever homes to love them. I hope your Highbush Blueberries do well because they certainly do provide delicious fruits for all to enjoy. We do give ours coffee grounds periodically. When we planted three new ones, we didn’t have access to enough pine straw so we used wood chips for mulch but did put a layer of landscaping fabric down between the soil and the mulch. Keep us posted how they do.
Ha! Our resident master gardener, Ina, is laughing at me about the coffee grinds! Good to know 🙂
Well this post gets me all misty-eyed… such precious pups. It’s a relief to know they’re in good hands now. Best of luck with the blueberries!
Aren’t they beautiful? We’ll find good homes for them where they will be pampered and loved for the rest of their lives. 🙂
Are these beautiful pups available for adoption? We are ready to adopt!!
Many have been; at least one remains. First step is to complete an adoption application on our website at: homewardboundgoldens.org
From there, we schedule a home visit, then our adoption counselors will work to find the best match.
We get dogs weekly in need of loving homes. Hope to meet you during the process…you’ll find me in the garden 🙂
We are approved ! Cant wait to rescue another beautiful Golden! We truly appreciate Homeward Bound and all that you do for these dogs. Thank- you!
Wonderful! Be sure to express your interest in the breeder pups to your counselor as well.
Thank-you, will do!