sacramento – Page 2 – Gardens For Goldens

A Summer Evening in the Garden

There is nothing I would rather do after work on a warm summer evening than avoid exercise and putter around in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden.

The sun baths everything in this warm glow which coats the imperfections so you can relax instead of focusing on the weeding and projects you know will have to be done.

Out in this country garden, a light breeze picks up late each day off the cool Sacramento Valley rice fields. Quiet as it is, the bees and birds are still hard at work getting their last meal of the day, while the shadows get long and the plants tuck in for the evening.

The gardens are full of surprises at this hour. You just never know what you will find.

NBA Draft Day Close-ups

It is NBA Draft Day, an official holiday in my house. In other words, I might as well be invisible. So I took the opportunity to make an evening trip to the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden to get up close with some of our blooming friends – beginning with Deb’s first Dahlia’s of the season…

Susan and Jeff’s Miniature Dahlias…

Maria’s Sunflowers,

Vonnie and Randy’s Roses,

Sue’s Marigolds,

and a host of others:

Next up…wide shots of the garden as the sun sets. Y’all come back now.

Chance Encounters

There were few people, but lots of creatures in Homeward Bound Memorial Garden today. Most everyone was at the Homeward Bound Reunion Party, where adopted dogs and their human friends get together to reconnect and trade stories. In the garden, the most delightful encounter was with a boy named Chancy.

He is total sweetheart and a complete gentleman with some special, but manageable needs for the right human match. You can read about him here, and see additional pictures here. His sad, but regal eyes say it all: take me home. I’m a great find and loyal friend.

I arrived early today, as the weather was expected to heat up. The wind has been blowing for two days – keeping things cool while I installed the rest of the Willow Garden, but wrecking havoc on the Sunflowers. I staked them loosely and set about planting: Lily Turf, Mondo Grass, African Iris, a Chartreuse Huechera and Barberry. Soaked well, with drip line installed and heavily mulched – I hope they will weather the next few days of high 90-degree temps in their new home.

As the beds mature, there are more bees, butterflies and even a Hummingbird spotting. With the quickly rising temperature, others arrived; a camera-shy lizard, and our resident snake. This guy used to scurry away when we walked by. Apparently snakes like warm stone, and this one was not moving! Stare down.

Deb’s Dahlias are taking off. It won’t be long before they tower over the rest of the perennial garden and grace us with a bold display of color.

The Tree Circle Gardens are freshly weeded and filling in; in the Bulb Garden the spent bulbs are tied off with the daylilies now blooming; and the Cottage Garden is growing large and full.

Everything got a deep soak in anticipation of hot days ahead. Think good thoughts for our Memorial Garden under that hot Sacramento Valley sun!

A Sweetheart in the Garden

Breeder dogs are dogs that are kept solely for the purpose of producing liter after liter. Many never leave their cages – much less experience the wide open country spaces of the Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary near Sacramento.

This pup visited us as we worked in the Homeward Bound Memorial Gardens this weekend. Her dog walker shared with me that this beautiful, sweet girl is a breeder dog rescue. Trying to get a picture of her face proved difficult; she would not raise her head to me despite warm pets and praise. She is still very shy and unsure of her new surroundings and freedom.

A quick internet search on breeder dog rescues brings up unspeakable stories of abuse and neglect. There are already too many rescues and shelters overflowing with abandoned dogs. If you are a dog lover, please, please consider rescue. The gratitude expressed, and the bond created by bringing these amazing creatures into your home and heart is beyond measure.

As I went back to work, she and her walker were working together on some trust exercises – simple things, like taking a treat from the hand. To my surprise and delight, I felt her quietly sneak up beside me, leaning in close as I adjusted one of the new drip lines. These little girl has a very big heart in need of a human who will love her. Much as I enjoy visiting with her in the gardens – I look forward to the day I see or hear of her going to her forever home.

A Sanctuary for Goldens

Jody was one of our visitors in the garden this weekend. She and her husband, Mike, are the co-founders of Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary near Sacramento, CA. Visiting with her was Alyssa, a 12-year-old cancer survivor – thanks to the care of Homeward Bound. Given her age and recurring health issues, Alyssa is not a good adoption candidate. At Homeward Bound, however, she has a forever place in the Sanctuary.

Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue & Sanctuary is a volunteer organization which rescues and heals displaced, abandoned, and homeless Golden Retrievers and Golden/Labrador mixes throughout Northern California, no matter their age or health. The organization not only secures safe, loving, homes through a comprehensive adoption program, but also provides sanctuary for Goldens who cannot be adopted.

The Sanctuary was inspired by Jody and Mike’s second Golden Retriever, Chelsea. Hit by a car, the vet told Mike and Jody that she wouldn’t make it due to the severity of her injuries. But, Mike told Chelsea that if she did make it, they would devote their lives to caring for other Goldens. She pulled through, and they have devoted their lives to rescue ever since. You can read about Chelsea’s story in “Chelsea’s Tales, Memories of a Rescued Golden Retriever.”

The Sanctuary is a place where dogs can be dogs; running, playing and swimming in big, enclosed, backyard-like pens, and smothered in attention and love.

We volunteer our efforts to their Memorial Garden – a place to reflect on the Goldens we have known, and to hopefully raise funds to support the efforts of this amazing organization.

Finding a Place for Them

At the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, I am happy to provide whatever help I can to Jody and her garden bed. At approximately 500 square feet – it is a huge undertaking for this dedicated co-founder of a recognized Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary just outside of Sacramento, CA.

I am a planner by nature. In the garden, I have been known to stare at an empty site for hours/days/weeks until it becomes clear what belongs there. To me, it is the artist’s or writer’s equivalent of a blank canvas or piece of paper. And like writer’s block, a garden can take a very long time to reveal itself to me.

Jody, on the other hand, has a very different approach. Weekly she appears in the garden with another plant or two. Something she has rescued, resuscitated, or pulled from a picked-over sale bin somewhere. “You’ll find a place for them,” she says with a smile, before she departs.

This attitude is at the heart of an amazing organization which is responsible for the rescue of hundreds of dogs each year. From a small office, kennel and a few pens has grown a sprawling sanctuary with enclosed fields where the dogs can play, swim, and frolic as dogs do. Pulled from shelters, surrendered by owners who can no longer care for them, they are the lucky rescues, and there always seems to be “a place” for just one more at Homeward Bound.

The Homeward Bound Sanctuary serves as a “half-way house” for Goldens awaiting adoption, and as a permanent home for those dogs whose health issues have rendered them unadoptable. They are welcome to live out their lives at the sanctuary in security and dignity, surrounded by love. Just like Jody’s pretty patchwork of a garden. Sprouting weekly from a long stretch of soil; a place where any rescued plant is welcome to make this garden its new home. No plan required.

The Benefits of Clay

I confess to being a little apprehensive about planting in the clay soil at the Homeward Bound Memorial Gardens, having little experience with it. I did the simple (very unscientific!) home test, and found it less heavy than I expected. Still, I know from weeding this spring, and the caked mud on my shoes, that there is much more than I am accustomed to. This weekend, I learned its benefits!

While it is still April, temperatures were in the 90’s this weekend in Sacramento – and our plantings in the perennial garden are only two weeks established. I was expecting some droop, but found thriving, happy plants instead. The soil, under a good layer of bark, was lightly dry on the surface, but retaining moisture very well just an inch below. This, and the dappled shade the lower section of the bed receives in late afternoon, will be a real blessing in the hot Sacramento Valley summer.

Clay in moderation? I’m sold!

Mystery Gardener Unearthed

I met our mystery gardener, Sue and her dog, Brock, today in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden. Sue served as our inspiration last fall, as she was the first to clear her garden bed – and meticulously so! She arrived today with a truckload of plants and whimsical additions to add character to the bed – only to discover that spring temperatures had fed the weeds too well.

The weather was unseasonably warm today in the Sacramento Valley, so we worked together to clear what is now “Grandma’s Flower Garden.” Great company and conversation helped us push through the job. Long after I gave in to the heat, Sue stayed on to complete the planting, settling in just as the day was ending, which will give them a chance to adjust in the cooler temps tonight.

Overseeing our efforts was Sue’s dog, Brock – another Homeward Bound rescue. Sue was drawn to Brock for his special needs. Suffering from mange as a puppy, Brock had lost most of his hair when she adopted him. A couple of years of loving care later, his hair has come back in, but is still very short. With no trace of the classic Golden feathers, you might not take him for a Golden at first. However, spend a few minutes playing “find it” with his toy – and it becomes abundantly clear.

People like Sue, who are drawn to special needs Goldens, make Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary such a special place. They adopt, foster and care for dogs that others long ago gave up on. And they are rewarded with the unconditional love of their new best friends and four-legged family members.

Now that the rains have largely passed and the irrigation system is in, I expect we’ll see a steady stream of volunteers planting their beds with summer color. Something tells me that Sue’s new fountain will be a gathering spot for more of her new feathered friends as well!

Despite the rain last week, it looks like more than half the work on the irrigation installation was completed at the Homeward Bound Memorial Gardens. A giant trench digger cut quick paths through the clay soil; however those that were not finished are now filled with water. Thankfully, the Sacramento forecast calls for sunshine all week. Fingers crossed that the crew can finish.

The paths that were so cleanly manicured two weeks ago look a little worse for wear as a result. It is a small price to pay to ensure water for thirsty plantings this summer.

The plants did not mind the rain at all. The perennial garden we planted last weekend is thriving. I added the Gaillardia and Delphinium today. The colors are so rich. I can’t wait to see them set off against Deb’s Dahlia’s this summer.

The trees have all leafed out, and the roses along the fence are beginning to bloom.

Maria’s snow peas are making good progress, and luckily appear either undiscovered, or unappealing, to bunnies.

With the warm sun shining, there were lots of volunteer walkers and dogs coming through the garden today. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some are what Homeward Bound refers to as “Fool’s Gold” – not-quite Goldens who find their way to this sanctuary. One of them is Chester, apparently from champion hunting stock, this Lab boy desperately needs to find a home. You can see pictures of him here, and read about him at Available Goldens. Much as I enjoy his company in the garden, it’s clear that he would be much happier in an open field with a job and a mission in mind. I hope this loyal pup finds an equally dedicated human soon.

Details in the Garden

The best thing about spring in the garden are the little surprises that appear each day. Upon close inspection today at the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, Maria’s snow peas have made their presence known. Pushing skyward, they are preparing to climb the couch relic that she has strung to encourage a living slipcover of delicate flowers and bunny snacks.

A very protective Killdeer bird laid her eggs in the bark of one of the beds. She tried to distract me away with her “broken wing act,” but I was able to quickly capture her speckled treasure.

Among the last weeds remaining in her bed, Jody discovered a rabbit hole. It’s not clear if it is occupied or not, but I did not have the heart to unearth the weeds that hid it. Hopefully, any furry friends will remember that I put my faith in peaceful co-existence.

Finally, a new addition that reminds visitors of the garden’s purpose; a place to remember and enjoy the hundreds of Goldens that pass through Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary near Sacramento, CA. This weekend, that included two older, special needs dogs who left with their new families for their forever homes. A perfect end to a beautiful weekend in the garden.