Gardening | Gardens For Goldens

Spring Tuning

March 25, 2018 by Ogee

There is a magical moment, just before the orchestra begins, when the oboe gives a note and the instruments are tuned in a chaotic staccato of strings, horns and reeds. A short, breathless pause follows as the conductor raises the wand – before a symphony explodes in synchronized waves of sound. The gardener knows this as early spring. A tulip appears, then an iris, an apple blossom, and tiny Clematis buds unwind – as if the whole garden is standing […]

Categories: Gardening, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, Nature, Nature Photography • Tags: #gardening, Bronte Spring Quote, Early Spring Garden, Iris, Nature Photography, Tulips

A Postcard

March 18, 2018 by Ogee

I have “met” many interesting people through this blog. Animal lovers. Gardeners. Photographers. Writers. People close to home and people from the four corners of the earth. But never the author of a quote I have shared. Until now. Recently, a request came to the rescue from the author of the poem “Winter is an Etching.” It was quoted here. Sometimes, a quote inspires a photo; more often, I go searching for a quote to match an image. In this […]

Categories: Gardening, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, Nature Photography, Photography, Thought • Tags: Nature Photography, Spring Garden, spring is a picture postcard, Stanley Horowitz writer, Winter is an etching

A Change In The Wind

February 11, 2018 by Ogee

“In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.” ~ Mark Twain Friday, I played hooky for a few hours and snuck out to the garden. Within minutes, I was peeling off layers like an onion and thinking it was time to move the winter clothes into storage. A week of mid-70’s in early February gets me dreaming about planting spring annuals, but I have wised up a bit […]

Categories: Gardening, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, Nature Photography • Tags: Ceanothus, Early Spring Flowers, Garden in Spring, Gardens Golden Retrievers, Hellebore, Loddon Lily, Love in a Mist, Quince Blossom, Spring

The Return of the Ninja Gardeners

January 28, 2018 by Ogee

A few brave roses somehow survived frost, hail, and cold and were still attempting to put on a show on a foggy Friday. Such is gardening in Northern California. But the arrival of crocuses and narcissus signal – it’s time for the roses to go. Our gardeners are like ninjas; rarely seen – but they leave a trail of weeded and dead-headed beds behind as evidence of their stealth powers. Once a year, I am able to wrangle them together […]

Categories: Gardening • Tags: gardening, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento, Puppies, Rose Pruning

How Did It Get To Be So Late?

December 3, 2017 by Ogee

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” ~ Dr. Seuss The Calendar says “December.” I knew it was coming; even wished it so. But it arrived so quickly. The valley fog has set in. We had our first real rain. The leaves have nearly finished falling; the beds are all raised; the bulbs […]

Categories: Dog Rescue, Gardening, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Nature Photography • Tags: December Garden, dog rescue, Dr. Seuss Quote, Entry Garden Bed Design, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento, Patience

Autumn is the Hush

November 12, 2017 by Ogee

“I’m not ready for winter” is the refrain I hear as the fog sets in and the volunteers don their winter wools. But I am. Or nearly so. The garden is putting on its final show – a glorious crown to a long, hot summer. As if it saved up all its energy for a final encore, displaying its growing maturity in tall drifts of purple, orange, pink and gold. By the end of the month, the raising of the […]

Categories: Dog Rescue, Gardening, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Nature Photography, Photography • Tags: Autumn quotes, dog rescue, Dogs, Fall Garden, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento

We Now Return to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

October 29, 2017 by Ogee

For the first time in months, I have a weekend without a work project – and without a puppy. Little Journey has found her forever home. Now named Charli, she greeted her new Mom with a smother of kisses and flat out stole her heart. But she picked the right heart, because this Mom is an experienced dog person and a good leader with kind instincts. Charli has grown kids to play with, a new Dad who is making her […]

Categories: Dog Rescue, Gardening, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Nature Photography • Tags: Dahlias, Fall Asters, Fall Garden, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento

Return to the Garden

October 1, 2017 by Ogee

“Where will you begin?” she asked. “At the beginning, I guess.” This sign was posted over our shed door. The weeds are indeed laughing. Two hours after the last puppy of Irish’s litter was adopted, in rolled the van with six more! I can’t show them to you due to a promise we made to the kind human who brought them to us. She saw that they were in need and intervened. We won’t give her up as she may […]

Categories: Gardening, Nature Photography, Photography • Tags: Bulbine, Dahlias, Fall Garden, Garden Photography, Gardens Golden Retrievers, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento, Weeds Laughing

Beckoning Fall’s Glory

September 17, 2017 by Ogee

The Delta Breeze finally blew in off the Bay, bringing an end to the stifling heat and still air while providing welcome relief to the parched garden. The days are still warm, but the cool nights provide a long-awaited respite after the months long scorching summer sun. The ground holds its drink better; the wind breathes life back into exhausted plants. Fall is my favorite season. Here, it is a second spring extending our flowering season from September through Thanksgiving. […]

Categories: Gardening, Nature Photography, Photography • Tags: Asters, blue sage, Dahlia, Delta Breeze Sacramento, Fall aseason, Fall Garden, Flowering Onion, Frog in Rose Petal, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento, Russian Sage