Tag: Nature

Jack’s Plea

Jack here. I’ve hijacked the Gardens for Goldens blog, because we have to have a serious talk.

I was out in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden today, and I saw all kinds of big changes and planning for the future underway. Maria and Ina adding a new Crape Myrtle to the White Garden…

Rock borders being set in anticipation of mulched paths…

And that Ina is getting ready to turn this weed mess into another of her amazing Cottage Gardens!


Heck, I even ran into this gorgeous girl, Shelby. Looks like she is going to be rescued by that really nice lady trainer, Chris, if she plays her cards right (more on her story soon).

Now I have nothing against Shelby. Heck, she’s been here quite awhile.
But so have Hootie,

Goldie,

Cisco,

Eastman,

that cute couple Mosh and Marie,

and that handsome guy, Scrubs.

See, that’s the problem. If dogs like these who really look like Goldens have been here awhile, what are my chances???

I have been here longer than all of them. OK, so I had a couple of issues (don’t we all), but I have worked really hard on them and they are SO much better now. Check me out. I have more schooling than most college grads. I even have a video.

Don’t get me wrong. The people and pups here are swell. But it’s not the same as a home of your own. So while you’re making all those dang garden plans – how about coming up with a plan for me?!?

I’m cuter than any of those old bugs and flowers that you take a gazillion pictures of…and I can still play with you in the winter!

So let’s go Gardeners. I was here when this place was nothing but weeds. And now look at it!

I know what miracles you can pull off. Let’s find me a home, please! I mean, please???

Maybe sometime before it’s really time for the Halloween decorations that Peggy and Steve put out today?

Remember…”Dogs Leave Paw Prints On Our Hearts.”

And I’m one of them that will for certain! Thanks for listening. I now return you to your bugs and bees.

Last(?) Evening in the Garden

I thought we were done with mid-week evening check-ups on the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden until next summer,

but someone turned on the furnace and decided that it should be high-90’s in the Sacramento Valley in mid-September.

Worse, we added fall plants and moved trees last weekend.

So…one more trip!

The trees were being well-watered, but a couple of my Mums and Snap Dragons were rescued just in the nick of time!

All better now. But I found evidence of creatures everywhere. The Butterfly Weed is hosting an aphid party.

This Lady Bug couldn’t be happier.

Someone helped themselves to the two ripe pears…one bored hole in each.

And some critter had the audacity to knock Maria’s “Tick Free Zone” sign to the ground. I hope they don’t take this as a sign that they are free to return.

This one was brave enough to show his face.

There is something magical about the garden in the Fall setting sun.



Just don’t forget to look up occasionally.

Indian Summer: Autumn Mosaic

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.”
–S. Horowitz


Camping was cool relief, but I’m not quite ready to give up the warmth for winter yet – so nothing beats returning from the foggy ocean to Indian summer in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden.


Cool morning temperatures provide the motivation for chores: mowing grasses, moving trees, adding fall color,

and fixing bunny-chewed drip lines (thank you, Maria!)

Warm afternoons are a good time to be lazy and bask in the colors of early autumn,

capture a few garden surprises,

and just enjoy the company of dogs.

Dog walker visits to the garden climb as the temperatures drop. It seems that everyone wanted to be out walking today. Thurman was up early with his cute freckled nose…

Polite Wee Bow…

and Hank…

and the enthusiastic, Big Boy.

Dusty was hugging up on Maria;

until one of our favorite duos, Marie and Mosh stole the show (Marie is a bit of a ham for the camera!);

while Roxie appears to have created a special connection with a family looking to fill the void left by a beloved companion. I heard a happy rumor that paperwork was being worked on as I left.

Rob asked for photos of Buster, who is always a little bit too busy with his ball to put on a smile. Look…no ball! We’re making progress.

And later this week, I’ll post an update on Hunter – the older Golden that you might remember from the Hunter’s Beauty post.

We met Susan and Jeff today; our Tree Circle gardeners.

They planted some more tri-color Jasmine among others, and plan a bed of pansies that will add color late into the fall, refreshed in early spring.

Mike and Jody were moving trees. Making a permanent home for the Orchid Tree.


They relocated a fruitless Mulberry and added a Crape Myrtle. The clay soil is more than a little tough going in spots (I think I heard the mention of a jack hammer!) but it’s a good time to get them in and established before the winter.

BTW, Maria gets full credit for people photos! I had to call for support, being a little plant and dog obsessed. Until next weekend…

Garden Party

“You may go down to the garden.”…(Peter Rabbit’s mother) Beatrix Potter

I confess that I did not have to make two trips to the Memorial Garden this weekend.

The temperatures are beginning to cool, which means the need for extra watering is diminishing, and even the weeds are growing a little slower.

But I’ll be taking a little break for some ocean camping, and our blooming days are growing shorter. I want to enjoy summer’s last blooms as long as I can.

Everyone else had the same idea; the dogs were everywhere in the Homeward Bound garden this weekend! Miss Macy with her ever-present toy,

Sunny with her sweet white face and disposition,

Blossom looking pretty,

and Hootie enjoying Laura’s company. (Laura’s the one with the hat!)

Sonny was back for more training classes. He is a certified Canine Good Citizen (CGC) who provides weekly therapy visits to a local Kaiser hospital.

Boulder and Phoenix are new arrivals; a pair who will hopefully find a new home together.

And Eastman – another new arrival who greets dogs and humans with a happy smile and wagging tail.

Even Axel and Bradley, who have perfectly good homes of their own, came by just to see what all the ruckus was about.

Party in the garden!

Some new things are blooming in Ina’s Cottage Garden. I believe this is Obedient Plant.

And this looks like an Aster…Ina?

The Roses are putting on a show; the result of Maria’s feeding them last week.

This contrast of blooms is beautiful in the White Garden.

The Hummingbird Garden was hosting more than birds…

can you find my little Dragonfly friend hiding here?

And of course…the Dahlias.

A riot of color. A splash of sunshine. And dogs. What a great way to celebrate the closing of summer. Does the party have to end?

Hunter’s Beauty

“Everything has beauty,

but not everyone sees it.”  ~Confucius

This is Hunter, a new arrival. He visited the Memorial Garden today and decided to stay awhile. I can’t tell you his story yet, as he has not been assessed. It breaks my heart to see older dogs like Hunter come in. They have stories; long ones. Whether by choice, necessity or happenstance, they arrive here confused, sad and anxious about their future.

He does not yet know it, but he is lucky to arrived at Homeward Bound, where dedicated and caring volunteers will work hard to ensure a loving home for him.

Like the petals of these spent flowers, he still has great beauty to offer.

I hope that someone will see it in him someday soon.

As Summer Sets

While the temperatures are still in the 90’s, there was a sure sign that Fall is approaching on the nursery shelves today.

Ready or not, its time to think about Fall color and plans for spring…again!  I may still add some perennials to fill in sections that did not fare well while beefing up fall color.

Chrysanthemum is always a fall favorite,

and would compliment the Gaillardia, Coneflower, Lavender, Nepeta, Coreopsis, Rudbeckia and Salvia that should still bloom for a couple of months.

I’d like to experiment with Aster and Sneezeweed which I cannot grow in my own garden. I planting some Aster a month or so ago for an early Fall bloom. Big mistake. Fried.

The Russian Sage, meanwhile, should bloom well into the winter.

Once the heat is past, it will be time to layer in some annuals: Calendula, Iceland Poppies, Pansies and Stock are good options in our zone 8.

It’s already getting late to shop for bulbs. In our area Crocus, Hyacinth and Tulips should be chilled for six weeks of so before planting.

The list of spring bulb options is so long, it’s hard to narrow down: Anemone, Freesia, Ixia, Tritonia, Lecojum and Ranunculus would be beautiful additions as we already have waves of Daffodils and Irises.

Once it cools, but well before it gets really cold and wet, overcrowded plants will benefit from dividing. In our garden that probably means Iris, Coneflower, Yarrow and some Daylilies.

Of course the biggest projects are now staring us in the face:

We’ve begged Ina to expand her Cottage Garden and offered help with clearing and digging (what were we thinking?!)


We’re hoping that Peggy and Steve will apply their Iris growing skills to a half circle near the entrance to the garden.


Paths are planned while expanding the beds and bringing in topsoil for seeding a grassy area in the center section. And finally: the dreaded Blackberry Bramble.

Thankfully, that is best done in the dead of winter, so there is still time for procrastination on that front!

When One Door Closes…

I thought that these sunflowers were the perfect metaphor for our Memorial Garden. Growing from one stalk, one head has faded, while another blooms. This is the cycle of quiet ends and new beginnings – sadness and joy – that we see so often at Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary.

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell.

The Memorial Garden as a place to remember and celebrate the lives of our four-legged friends who brought us such joy, companionship and happiness.

Every dog lover knows the heartache of loss, and yet we risk it all over again – because the need is so great. So many pups in need of homes; so many homes in need of the unconditional love of pups.

“Dogs just wrap themselves around your heart in ways you never thought possible.” – HB

Often we hear people say that they can’t bear to adopt an older dog with the possibility of only a few years together. And yet, there on the organization’s Facebook page this week, was a post from a woman who said goodbye to her Golden – adopted at 10 and lived to 17. Seven wonderful years. Life has its own plans, and there are no guarantees. So worry less about the age and more about the connection and the difference that you make in each other’s lives. Hearts are like gardens – with endless capacity to be reborn. Never the same…

but equally beautiful.