Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento

Unity

January 6, 2019 by Ogee

When a group of gardeners first answered the call to help create the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, the design included a dozen or so beds, each devoted to a specific species or type of plant. There were planned beds for iris, viburnum, daylilies, white roses, ornamental grasses, succulents, perennials, and even a one devoted to container plants. It was a design born of the individual interests of the volunteer gardens who would be dedicating their time but lacked something essential: […]

Categories: Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, Nature, Nature Photography • Tags: California Native Plants in Garden, Garden design, Gardening Unity, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento, Unity

Fall Garden Project Number One

October 7, 2018 by Ogee

No, really, there are no remains in the Memorial Garden…although you might suspect otherwise if you saw this. While we were away, fall signaled its arrival. Just hints so far, but the creatures know. And with cooler days come a mountain of projects. First on the list: a complete demolition and re-do of the raised bed area of the garden. Once, these housed a mountain of overgrown and deadly blackberry brambles. They spread their spikes throughout the garden, so they […]

Categories: Gardening, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, Nature • Tags: Fall Garden Project, gardening, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento, new garden bed

When You Just Say “Try”

July 1, 2018 by Ogee

Every single person that contributes to our mission of rescue is essential and valued. Still, there are some donors whose extraordinary gifts over the years have created an essential foundation for our work. Many had not been to the rescue in a decade or more; so much has changed. Since or founding, our facilities and our programs for the dogs have morphed from buckets and tubs and potty breaks to a fully functioning, more modern operation with enrichment programs to […]

Categories: Dog Rescue, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden • Tags: Big Dog Brunch, Donor Appreciation, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento, Summer Flowers

To My Wayward Gardeners

May 8, 2018 by Ogee

The roses and I thank you for your pruning assistance last winter… they are repaying the effort in their magnificence. Please feel free to stop by to help deadhead them soon. Miss you! 🙂

Categories: Gardening, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, Nature Photography • Tags: Garden Photography, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento, Rose Garden, Roses First Bloom

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

With Gratitude

November 23, 2017 by Ogee

“For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends. For flowers that bloom about our feet; For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet; For song of bird, and hum of bee; For all things fair we hear or see, Father in heaven, we thank Thee!” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson For the community I have found, for the generosity that makes our work […]

Categories: Dog Rescue, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue • Tags: Garden Golden Retrievers, Gratitude, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento, Photography, Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, Thanksgiving

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

Everything In Its Season

November 5, 2017 by Ogee

I love the velvety purple stalks of Mexican sage. It heralds fall; its amethyst hues offset by the season’s golden leaves. A perennial in most gardens – but not in our Homeward Bound Memorial Garden. It is too wet in winter, and too hot in summer. The clay soil and baking sun are too much for this tough, but not quite tough enough, sage. The first three seasons, I moved it to different spots in the garden hoping I would […]

Categories: Dog Rescue, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Rescue • Tags: Dog Loss, dog rescue, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden Sacramento, In Its Season Henry David Thoreau