Spring has arrived in Northern California and this weekend I planted my spring garden. It’s a right of passage for me. A signal that its safe to go outside again!
This is the first garden I have planted since we got our new puppy Sophie. My dogs always oversee the garden . . they own it, rule it and basically define its perimeters. For 11 month old Sophie, it's a giant sandbox!
Keeping Sophie out of my garden boxes has become a priority. I discovered that bamboo skewers (placed with pointed side down in the dirt) work really well. I scatter then all over and leave them up until the plants are big enough to create a barrier. It also works for cats who love to dig up the new soil. We'll see how it works for Sophie - I'm dubious.
I have found that dogs pretty much don’t care about vegetables and leave them alone. Flowers and herbs were always favorites for my other dogs. Guinness loved Sunflowers and would peel the leaves off the trunk like a Giraffe. Soleil loved Strawberries. When the first berries came on, she would smell them to pick the ripe ones and then she would snag them when I wasn't looking!
Each of my departed dogs has a rose planted in their honor. The roses are strong and full of new leaves and buds. Soon they will bloom and remind me that my dearly beloved dogs are still in the garden with me.
But this year’s garden celebrates new life in the form of our Sophie puppy. Eventually she will learn where to walk, run, dig and rest in the garden. Creating a dog friendly green space . . that’s the core of Juno's Garden.
