“The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.” ~ Gertrude S. Wister
The signs of spring are everywhere in the Memorial Garden. For those of you still suffering winter, a few vignettes are shared here with a hope that your spring is on the way.
Yes, no spring is complete without puppies. And last, but not least, a beautiful specimen of the treasured “sugar corculum”.
In honor of Presidents Day, we threw a bit of a Homeward Bound garden party (while Penny slept!) extending our reach beyond the Memorial Garden boundary in support of the Sanctuary’s struggling trees. Seven of us gathered to free the ‘Scarlet Sprite’ (Grevillea rosmarinifolia) and Crepe Myrtles of their Morning Glory tormenters…
and clear the trees in the dog pens of their choking weeds. Before…
and after.
Capping off the day – the long-awaited Highbush Blueberries were finally installed. Regular readers will remember our battle to remove invasive blackberries from the site. Before…
and after.
Triumph was not ours alone today. I watched with delight as one of our trainers, Chris, played and worked with Lucy – one of the breeder pups who came to us just a few short weeks ago. Before…
and after.
“The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph.”
― George Washington
Our work outside the garden is not quite done; the day was called due to a change in weather and the fact that we ran out of room in the refuse pile. Nor is Lucy’s transformation complete, but great progress was made on all fronts. Special thanks to gardeners Randy, Vonnie, Peggy, Pat, Ina and Maria today. It makes the exhaustion so worthwhile.
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.
“The trouble with gardening is that it does not remain an avocation. It becomes an obsession.” ~ Phyllis McGinley
You know how you can become so accustomed to something that you don’t even see it anymore? Today, I suddenly noticed how neglected the entry way to the entire Sanctuary has become. While we did not exactly sign up for this duty, it desperately needs to be done.
Morning Glories are literally choking the Crepe Myrtles along the drive; shoots have grown out of control; and the bird-spread seeds are threatening to become full-grown trees.
I know we’re in the country, but this is not the first impression we want to make when adopting families come to meet the dogs. So out came the clippers and the under/over brush was cleared enough to see that this will take a garden clean-up day to complete. Time to put out the call for volunteers!
Obsession? Yes. But wait until I show you the ‘after!’
If you look very closely, you can see the first signs of winter’s departure in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, not far behind the recent weeks’ frost.
Of course, the most beautiful colors in Northern California gardens this time of year come from the oranges and lemons that overflow our trees.
Maria and I finished the shrub roses today – and not a minute too soon, as they are already budding. We left these a little taller than the tea roses so they would continue to climb and cover the fences.
We welcomed and trained a couple of new dog walkers today. They are lured in with puppies before introducing them to the big dogs.
I had the pleasure of meeting Elia and her boy, Cooper. Elia adopted Cooper, and his son, Bear around Memorial Day in 2011. She continues to bring them to Homeward Bound for regular training and socialization.
The same tactic has apparently worked miracles on her two teen boys, who both cook and clean! Who knew?
Some of our best friends visited with us in the garden – Nicholas aka Obi who went from his walk to a bath –
and Gina with her twin best bud, Hank.
Thankfully, we have had a good number of adoptions recently – because the call “incoming!” best describes the latter part of the week. Meet Quinn,
Socrates,
and Kyo.
This is Gus.
While we can all see a little too much of Gus right now, that won’t be the case for long. He was adopted today by folks committed to his future weight reduction and exercise routine.
There’s a lot to love here, but we can’t wait to see the before and after.
And this is Christy.
We share a little in common. She is here is because she lost her human dad not long ago. On top of that, she had a needed surgery and dons this cute t-shirt to prevent her from popping her stitches…again.
She spent a good amount of time with us on a blanket in the garden monitoring the rose pruning while basking in the warm, January sun.
Good fortune shines upon her. A family came through that was instantly taken with her. Keep your fingers crossed; it looks like she might have found her forever home.
There are more on their way. It’s like that in rescue – and in gardens.
“The gardening season officially begins on January 1st and ends on December 31st.” – Marie Huston
A friend shared a disappointment recently, which caused her to question the good she contributes to because the results have occasionally been imperfect. Sometimes, in trying to do too much, we end up doing too little. Now and then, that causes us to fail.
Like an over planted garden. We want to save them all, but the soil can only accommodate so many.
Hard choices sometimes have to be made. But in the end, they’ll stand stronger, taller and more brilliant if attention is focused on what can truly be supported well.
Of course, gardens are not living creatures. But a rare failure, however heartbreaking, should not cause us to question all.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston Churchill
Mistakes will happen. Perfection is never achieved.
“Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.” ~Author unknown
“Learn to pause … or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you.” ~ Doug King
Today I paused. I went to the Memorial Garden and worked only at my pace. I walked some dogs; stopping in the garden to spend time with each. A pat on the head; a belly rub; a promise to help them find a home again.
The garden is quiet in January. Everything is curled up in a tight, frost-bitten bundle protecting its roots and the shoots we will see by this time next month.
Just a few of us here – the walkers,
the birds,
and the dogs who keep us company.
“Every winter,
When the great sun has turned his face away,
The earth goes down into a vale of grief,
And fasts, and weeps, and shrouds herself in sables,
Leaving her wedding-garlands to decay –
Then leaps in spring to his returning kisses.”
~ Charles Kingsley
Until the spring leaps, we will gladly make do with dog kisses.
Jody and I had a rose pruning session in the (very cold) garden this morning. You’ll recall that we shared a grape pruning session recently.
I think she was pretending inexperience with roses (showing up with manual in hand) just to have an excuse to play in the garden. She took to it immediately, quickly pruning all of the tea roses in her bed. We did a quick lesson on one of the shrub roses growing along the fence, which we will not take back as far. Her instructions are to finish all 21 along the fence perimeter within the next two weeks.
I have been drafted for some marketing help for Homeward Bound (see what happens when you start a blog?) As a result, I spent a good part of my day capturing photos of dogs whose stories will appear in our newsletter and upcoming campaign. Spoiler alert: This is Maggie – she literally saved her Dad’s life. I will bring you the story as soon as it is published.
Cody, Lincoln, and Nicholas will all be featured in our campaign, “Fund of Love” which provides the support needed for up to $300,000 in extraordinary medical expenses that we incur each year.
And this is Rusty and Ginger – a beautiful pair, currently being fostered and in search of their forever home.
Somehow, I managed to get to the rest of the tea roses today; fifteen, I believe. I lost count. This very hungry bee was not happy with my work, clinging to a frost-bitten rose in the pile of clippings – and despairing about the branches left bare.
“Nature looks dead in winter because her life is gathered into her heart. She withers the plant down to the root that she may grow it up again fairer and stronger.” ~Hugh Macmillan, “Rejuvenescence,” The Ministry of Nature, 1871
Nature may be cold and bare in the winter, but we have Golden warmth gathered in our hearts.
Below the frosty morning surface of the garden, all the little microorganisms are busy creating nutrients. But for gardeners in need of rest and recovery, January is mercifully slow. After a week of hard overnight frost in the Sacramento Valley, the roses in our Memorial Garden have finally succumbed.
On New Years’ Day, Jody and I completed pruning and tying the grapes; soon, the roses will be ready for their turn.
Yarrow is the only perennial still in bloom,
but we are graced with a silvery green chorus of Artemisia, Lamb’s Ear, Lavender and Rosemary.
The drama of magnificent blooms has been replaced by wildlife’s romantic grace.
“I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape – the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show.” ~ Andrew Wyeth
With the plants retreating back to the ground, I can see the need to add more permanent structure to the garden; some raised mounds to create height interest and keep tender plants from flooding; a clearer entry path; more evergreen and grass foundation plantings; a stone wall perhaps (a gardener can dream!) The garden has come a long way from last January’s blank canvas – but the picture is not complete yet, by any measure.
As the garden demands less right now, I have quite literally ‘gone to the dogs’ – helping out our dedicated dog walker team.
Today, I got to assist in an introduction; one of our Homeward Bound rescues meeting the pup of a prospective adoptive family to ensure a good match for all. What an incredible feeling to see a connection made; hoping that another may be on its way to a forever home. That was George’s good fortune today, (shhh…one of my favorites.)
I knew I should have gotten in just one more walk with him! Happy life, my friend!
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow rain, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” ~ Dr. Seuss
It has been pounding rain again. There will be no gardening this weekend, unless you count water features.
And few Goldens in the garden, because everyone is too focused on getting them walked and warm again. But that does not mean we are without Christmas cheer. Remember the story of Hunter and his transformation? (You can revisit it here.)
Part of Hunter’s pained look when he first arrived at Homeward Bound was very real pain in his ears.
Thankfully, he received the care he desperately needed. Unfortunately, the result was deafness. Sad as that is, it was an obvious relief to Hunter after the hurt he had endured for so long. You can see it on his smiling face and in his rebounded spirit.
So, after such a long recovery and wait for adoption, where’s the cheer? Hunter went home this week – in time for Christmas.
So you see? Even in the rain and cold and wind, we are surrounded with blessings and cheer.
What miracles have walked through here.
Best wishes for a joyous holiday and a new year filled with small miracles – to all our visitors and readers from the gardeners and the pups of Homeward Bound.
After last weekend’s deluge, it was good to be back in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, focusing on clean-up. Lawns were mowed, leaves were raked, and spent blossoms were removed. It seems that more than a few of our favorites haven’t figured out that it is December. Many of the roses are still pushing out blooms,
The Blue Geranium that struggled all summer in the heat has made an appearance,
The Daylilies are still gracing us.
And Maria’s Sunflowers? Well, don’t tell them or their Bee friends that it is winter.
The day was so beautiful, Maria took advantage of the warmth and finished planting the newly reconfigured St. Francis garden with Gardenias, Lavender, Thyme, and more.
She was a little distracted – in the best way – as she spent time getting acquainted with Champ, who will, hopefully, go home with her next weekend as her second, permanent foster.
Homeward Bound rescues Goldens and Golden mixes no matter what their age or medical condition. Some, like Champ (who has cancer), have medical issues that make them unable to be adopted. Special people, like Maria, take them as permanent fosters.
Homeward Bound covers their medical expenses, while fostering families or individuals donate their homes and hearts, knowing that in many instances, their time together may be short.
This week, Champ will meet Maria’s other permanent foster, Beau. If it is a match, their family will grow. Many other times, medical needs can be addressed, clearing the way for a long, healthy life. This is Lincoln – who arrived before Thanksgiving, with a broken leg and ribs, having been hit by a car.
Surgery put him on the road to recovery, and when he is ready, to adoption as well.
The sun was not the only thing shining down on us after such fierce storms. Good fortune recently graced many of the pups you’ve seen here as they found their forever homes, including Gracie…
Mama Bear…
Chiquito…
And little Scout.
Proving once again – more than flowers blossom at Homeward Bound.
Caution: Before using this tool, read the manual and follow all safety and operating instructions.
Preparation: Dress appropriately when operating the tiller. Always wear sturdy footwear. Never wear sandals, sneakers or open shoes. Do not wear loose clothing that might get caught in moving parts.
Do not operate the tiller under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Carefully inspect the area to be tilled and remove all foreign objects. Do not till above underground water lines, gas lines, electric cables, or pipes drip lines. Stay alert for hidden hazards.
After striking a foreign object, stop the engine, thoroughly inspect the tiller, and repair the damage before restarting and operating the tiller.
The bulbs will be beautiful, even if the planting was a little messy.
Gardens For Goldens 