Nature – Page 8 – Gardens For Goldens

The Garden as teacher

After a year of working in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, I have – to my amazement – become a more patient gardener. I walk right past the impulse buy tables in the garden store.

Tempting as they are, I now favor these young divides –

trusting that they will grow into stronger, healthier plants that will shoot forth year after year.

This season, I will even experiment with seeds – something I never had the patience for before.

The gardeners and I have watched and learned what works and what doesn’t. Plant in mounds to avoid drowning in the winter rains…

Don’t cut back until after all frosts; it is colder in the country and our little friends need their cover…

And tulips belong in pots, well out of bunny reach!

Last year was all about planning and planting; this season is about waiting.

Including sitting out this Killdeer’s brood; 3-4 weeks incubation time after the last egg is laid. Her nest is so well-known to us that we leave it marked with a little statue for her return each year. No digging here for at least three more weeks, yet she allows us to walk within a couple of feet of her without too much fuss.

“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.”~ Gertrude Jekyll

A return visit

The fertile soils (former wetlands) and Mediterranean climate of the Sacramento Valley provide an ideal environment for growing. The winters are temperate, the summers warm – cooled by Delta breezes. Old trees in established neighborhoods provide frost protection and shade from the blazing late July and August sun. Buildings create closed spaces blocking cold winds that can otherwise quickly freeze fragile plants. As a result, microclimates can be a full zone apart from an area just a few minutes away.

The Memorial Garden is in the country not far from Sacramento – surrounded by flat rice fields. It soaks up sun, but cools off quickly with nothing to block the wind. That’s a wonderful air conditioning system in the summer when breezes come off the wet fields, but it delays our spring, keeping nights and early morning temperatures ~~cool~~ cold.

So, while we wait for our full spring to burst forth at the garden (and while some of you still wait out winter) I made a return trip to the Sacramento City Cemetery, which sits not far from the river, but in the middle of town. Sheltered, and blanketed with old trees, it boasts a much milder growing environment. You might remember my last, late summer visit captured in the post From Whence They Came. I was anxious to see what it looked like in spring. It did not disappoint. Enjoy.

Signs of Spring

“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”.

A promise made; a promise kept

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” ~ Will Rogers

The most important installation in the progress of the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden was finally completed this week. It shamed me a little that this one took so long, but it’s timing is perhaps fitting – as this year, the garden will burst forth in spring celebrating all the hard work of our first season’s plantings.

Our Memorial Path is where families remember their beloved pups with a commemorative brick. The bricks are laid in a sand base, so we can easily replace blank ones with new dedications,

until someday, every brick relays a special message to our pups over the rainbow bridge.

Thanks to Joe Porto and his crew of Top Line Masonry for their beautiful work.

It brings both tears and joy to walk, read, and remember. This one in particular – as it is dedicated to Chelsea, the Golden Retriever who inspired all that Homeward Bound has become.

A lasting tribute, soon surrounded by all the blessings of spring.

It was the perfect time after all.

Work is love made visible

Q: “What are you planting today?”
A: “Stone.”
Big weekend of work in the Memorial Garden; I am just recovering.

Jody and I began the stone walkway project on Saturday. I finished on Sunday, while she oversaw the completed clearing of the adjacent pen. Moving a half ton of stone certainly makes you sleep well at night. But the results are worth the effort, I think.

“It is better to wear out than to rust out.”
– Bishop Richard Cumberland

The curve creates obvious pockets for drifts of plants that echo the natives in Ina’s garden, coupled with some perennials to bridge the front and back of the garden. Next stop: nursery!

The garden is about to burst into spring. We’ve discovered that our flowering season is longer here; but winter leaves a little later. Things that have sprung in my home garden, are still hinting at spring in the Memorial Garden. The breeze that cools over the rice fields is welcome relief in summer, but keeps a chill on a while longer in spring.

We were joined once again today by a group of students from the University of San Francisco. They are studying Fundamentals of Organizational Management with a focus on nonprofits, and selected Homeward Bound to get some hands-on experience and information. They were attracted to us as an all-volunteer organization; and for our mission of rescue and sanctuary.

They had an opportunity to spend time with our President, and some of our newest recruits. Meet Lily…

Daisy…

And Lucy.

After spending time with the dogs, trainers and team leaders, Jody let them experience the manual labor side of rescue – clearing the adjacent pen. Not bad for city kids! It looks immaculate.

We return them to the metropolis a little tired, dirty, and wiser about the work of a nonprofit.

“Work is love made visible.”
– Khalil Gibran

Triumph

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.

Handle With Care

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.

Obsessed? Yes.

“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!’

Scouts to the Rescue!

These are the Scouts of the Pioneer District, Miwok Chapter – members of Scouting’s National Honor Society: The Order of the Arrow. And luckily for us – they are experts at removing blackberry roots!

When Homeward Bound needs extra hands, talented builders and strong backs, these are the guys we turn to. Last summer, they built beautiful shade enclosures with seating by the pond for us, so our dog walkers would have a quiet place to work with the dogs. Today was all about digging. Within a few short hours, this crew obliterated the last of the blackberry roots from our raised beds, leaving them spotless and ready for planting Highbush Blueberries.

Meanwhile, the more senior members installed a new length of split rail fencing which now fronts the center of the garden, and creates a beautiful frame for Ina’s California Native Garden.

The Arrowmen of the Order of the Arrow are known for maintaining camping traditions and spirit, and for providing cheerful service to others. Truly. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that their efforts were powered by hot chocolate and donuts this morning! The Scouts perform service projects throughout their Miwok Chapter region. We’re so thankful it includes us.

Their generous service saves valuable resources for our organization that can be redirected to the rescue of hundreds of dogs each year. You’ve heard of Pitbulls and Parolees? Well, we have Scouts and Goldens. We think they make a wonderful combination.

Incoming

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

imperfection

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

pausing

“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.