Nature Photography – Page 10 – Gardens For Goldens

Wordless Wednesday: Rising with the Sun

Perfect Fits

In a garden, it’s important to think ahead about a plant’s attributes, needs, and the space it will fill (not to mention a gardener’s skill). For example: Ina’s green thumb and her grasses…another path lost!

These weed trees (even the arborist couldn’t identify them!) were planted before we arrived on the scene at the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden. Over the course of three seasons, they grew to a height of about 20 feet and they were still headed skyward. Scraggly, branches shooting out in all directions, with roots as big as their trunks.

Without a lot of forethought, a Mulberry, Rosebud and two 20-feet (and growing) weed trees were planted in one garden bed. Something had to go! Ina felled the middle one a few weeks ago; covered it with a black plastic bucket and left it to rot. Since we planned on replacing the one on the end with a pretty “Purple Pony” Flowering Plum, the stump and roots had to go. Three people (thanks Maria and Frank!); two saws; one power tool; and a sledge hammer later…we were ready to plant.

This Flowering Plum variety is a dwarf cultivar and will max out at 12-15 feet. Its flowers will be beautiful in the spring; its deep purple provides the perfect complement to the adjacent yellow and pink roses. The birds will feast on its fruit.

I’m sure the weed trees had their purpose – somewhere else. But they were not a good fit for our garden. Understanding their nature would have spared my aching muscles and their sad end.

With dogs, it is equally important to assess characteristics and personality in order to find the right fit. While we struggled with the tree, a parade of puppies was being taken to the adjacent yard for assessments.

These are the same tiny things I showed you a few weeks ago – now full of spit and vinegar, and ready to go home! To make good matches, we need to understand their unique personalities and temperaments. Do they play nicely;

do they come when called; do they chase a ball…and will they return, or bogart it?

Do they like to cuddle? Or will they squirm if held?

Do they prefer the company of humans or dogs?

You can read about the test and the pups on the Homeward Bound blog (linked here), including a gallery of the individual puppies and a touching video capturing their very first days. Two have been adopted as of today. Ten more to go! We’re hoping for perfect fits for all!

A little rain must fall

“Dark clouds become heaven’s flowers when kissed by light.” ~ Rabindranath Tagore

We were blessed to wake to rain early Saturday morning.

We are grateful for every drop during this long drought. Rain meant a day of dogs instead of gardening. Time with the pups; another blessing.

Sunday, then, brought twice the load of garden chores; fall is such a busy time in the garden – second only to spring. The day also began with a beautiful fog blanketing all of Homeward Bound including our Memorial Garden.

The soft light captured the fall colors and turned them into illuminated canvases.

Peaking through, I caught a glimpse of couple of favorites out for a stroll: Miss Dazy…

And Victor Mature.

Inside the shed, I found this touching note:
To the garden angels,
This is Rusty’s companion, Rosie. Three weeks after we lost him to Hemangiosarcoma, she let us know she couldn’t go on without him and we lost her, too. Could you put her in the rose garden next to Rusty?
Thanks, Carole

They belong together.

“Be still, sad heart! And cease repining; behind the clouds is the sun still shining; thy fate is the common fate of all, into each life some rain must fall.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Until the Fall

The garden – like the rest of us – is desperately trying to turn the corner to fall.

It was not to be this week – with summer still making itself known by delivering temperatures over the century mark.

With the surrounding rice fields drained, even the crawdads are trying to seek safe haven.

I guess the word is out that we rescue, as most were scooped up and transported to our pond.

After a very hectic and full-house summer, we delighted in sending 14 dogs home last weekend. However brief the respite, there are, thankfully, a few open spots in our kennel “dorm.” I think all of us could use a bit of a rest from the crazy pace and heat of summer. Like the garden, we are a bit wilted and worn.

I look forward to cooler days and fall projects. Last year was the entry way – freshly planted and a looking a little bare this time last September –

now full and flourishing.

And the re-worked Iris bed. Last September, we carved out some center space for annual color while the irises take their own rest.

The summer plantings have completely taken over and will look even more beautiful as the season changes.

There are bulbs to thin and plant, beds to re-work, and trees to install as the season’s cycle begins again. But all of that will have to wait until we have a bit of cooler, crisper weather suitable for hard labor. Until then, we’ll just enjoy the company of dogs.

Wordless Wednesday: King of the world!

Wordless Wednesday: It’s a small world

Wordless Wednesday: Smiling Dragonfly

Welcome Guests

Mama Hummingbird is still a frequent visitor. It seems she has brought her kids – and other guests. All welcome here.

Beating the Heat

It was 110 here in the Sacramento Valley on Monday. Fellow gardener, Maria braved the heat the next day to do an evening check and give a little first-aid to anything that had not weathered the weather! She’s also turning into quite the camera bug. She captured this funny-faced Robin who found his own way to keep cool!

How We Come Here

I’ve learned that the best gardens are patchworks of the found, shared and transplanted. The trees, flowers and shrubs of the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden are a collection of new, old and passed on beauties.

Some arrive on our door step. Other have been lifted from gardens we love – always with permission, of course!

Their common destination is a loosely structured garden with unique pockets created for the creatures who inhabit it. Bunnies, birds, snakes, pesky snails –

and dogs, of course.

Like our plants, they arrive from everywhere. Jersey Girl – one of our newest arrivals – traveled all the way across the country from Tennessee thanks to a network of folks dedicated to rescue. Her adventure took over two weeks of travel and foster. Passed from one to another like a precious gift. She is terrified of thunder and her people knew that our quiet valley would be a better place for her.

Eve was found wandering. She was accompanied by a large tumor – likely from raising too many puppies – and she is almost completely blind from cataracts. If we can successfully do away with the first, we hope to remove the other and restore her health and her sight.

Some arrive on wings – like our Taiwan dogs…

and a prayer – for a new life and a forever home. Surrendered, found, rescued.

Rescued dogs – like rescued gardens – return their good fortune a hundred fold.

Through the Lens

“It pleases me to take amateur photographs of my garden, and it pleases my garden to make my photographs look professional.” ~ Robert Brault

I have enjoyed taking amateur pictures of our garden – watching it progress through the seasons and develop over time. But lately, the amateur quality of the photos has been a sense of growing frustration and disappointment instead of joy. So, with appreciation to our Presidents for the three-day weekend, I rented a camera that takes a couple of leaps from my current gear.

When I started studying painting many moons ago, my student tools were inexpensive gessoed muslin canvas, cheap brushes and acrylic paints. I will never forget the first time I put fine sable brushes and a light oil wash to a linen canvas primed with rabbit skin glue (sorry bunny). The paint had a completely different feel, a brilliance and transparency. It did as I commanded – effortlessly gliding into place. That has been my experience behind the lens this weekend. Not just photographing our budding spring…

or happy birds…

but the beauty of the dogs –

and the delight in the faces of our volunteers and families.

“If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn’t need to lug around a camera” ~ Lewis Hine

Tuesday, I return the camera and turn back into a pumpkin. But something tells me there is a purchase in my future. So when words are inadequate, I can (happily) share our joy in photographs with you.