August 2013 – Gardens For Goldens

Wordless Wednesday: Angels Among Us

Today is a Gift

“The flower that you hold in your hands was born today and already it is as old as you are.” ~Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwi

I don’t know where the summer went; the time passed so quickly. We leave soon for our annual Labor Day camping trip – a week on the ocean and river where the salmon run. It seems like summer arrived just yesterday and it’s gone in the blink of an eye – or the life of a flower.

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.”~ A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

We paid our dues early this year. Having survived two straight weeks of 110 degrees in June, we have been treated to much milder temps all through August. The garden is showing its gratitude now.

And so are the pups. This is Lukey.

Handsome Shane.

Sweet blind boy Brutus.

And hug-a-boo Mickey.

With a light breeze blowing, our golden oldies were treated to a group play date in the large park. So many beautiful sugar faces.

Little beasties, meanwhile, were having their own party in the Butterfly Garden.

Ocean camping is heaven, but its hard to compete with this bliss.

“For there you have been and there you will long to return.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci

A Few Words on Wednesday

Need a smile? I try not to make you all work too hard, but for the dog lovers among us, may I suggest you take a little journey across the blogosphere to the official Homeward Bound blog? Check it out here…I think you’ll enjoy. 🙂

Orange

Orange is a warm and happy color – more intense than Yellow and less aggressive than Red.

In color meanings, it is positively associated with gregarious, exuberant, youthful, adventurous, and creative.

A little Orange energizes. Too much orange can feel overly flamboyant, loud and crass.

Orange in nature is associated with heat, fire, sunsets and sunrises, and of course, autumn.

In crystals, Orange is a power and healing color. It stimulates appetite as well as enthusiasm and creativity.

To Native Americans, Orange represents learning or kinship. In Eastern philosophy, the Orange Chakra is in the abdomen and the creative center.

It was also the source of ridiculous jokes as in “Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?”

Orange in the garden is sometimes criticized as too bright and garish – not tasteful. But I think orange brings life to a garden. I use it at home to create tropical heat or add brilliance to an otherwise dark space.

We use spots of it in the Memorial Garden to add warmth while accentuating other colors.

From deep, near-red burnt Oranges,

to the more fragile Salmons and Apricots…

you’ll find every shade of “Orange” in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden.

Orange you glad you stopped by?

First Hint of Fall

Every year I prepare for our annual ocean camping trip over Labor Day weekend. It’s how I know that Fall is near. The Memorial Garden seems to sense it too…earlier this year.

The Obedient Plant in Ina’s Cottage Garden is making an appearance.

Maria’s Sunflowers are showcasing shades of gold and red.

The grapes are sun-kissed ripe and wonderfully sweet,

and the Sedum has flowered.

The tiny drifts planted last spring have sprouted a new fountain…and its guest.

And the Amaranthus, started from seed, is spreading like deep red pearls throughout the Perennial bed.

Even Sequoia is dressed in fall colors. This sweet girl was surrendered by a family that loved her dearly, but happened to live in a grove of Eucalyptus trees that she is horribly allergic to. No amount of medication could help, so they entrusted her to us to help her recover and find her a home where she is pain (and itch) free.

I’m not sure that I am ready to say good-bye to summer – although I am very ready to leave the stifling hot valley for a week of ocean air, cold nights and campfires.

The garden – well it does what it will in its own time – ready of not.

Wordless Wednesday: Gone to the Dogs

Evening Light

“The evening light was like honey in the trees” ~ John Ashbery

My visit to the garden was late on Saturday. Instead of gardening, I joined the team running the dogs in late afternoon to give a couple of devoted volunteers a well-earned day off. By the time I made it to the garden, it was bathed in a golden wash and the shadows were long.

Monarchs danced, Dragonflies perched,

and bees were finishing their day collecting pollen from the Penstemon.

I see that Ina has been busy preparing to expand the Cottage Garden again,

and our new wall is complete; the surrounding beds waiting to be planted.

The plaque that now graces our Memorial Garden calls out our purpose and will be filled with names of sponsors whose contributions will support the dogs.

Speaking of dogs…Dee Dee, featured here last week doing her ballet has some new joyous photos to share. The going home kind. You can see them here. Happy life, Dee Dee girl!

“Now and then the light will fall on a particular point in time, illuminating it for a moment before the wind seals up the gap, and the world is in shadows again.” ~ Tan Twan Eng, The Garden of Evening Mists

Jody and I hung a new wind chime from the plum tree. It makes a deep and delightful sound as if it is calling the creatures to the garden as the day began to disappear.

“I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh

A beautiful August evening in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden.

Wordless Wednesday: Yum

Garden Ballet

Monarch Butterflies are doing dances all through the butterfly bed in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden. We have created a haven for them with Butterfly Bush, Milkweed, Lantana, Verbena and a host of others.