Dawn Brocco's Life & Design Blog

I DO have to get into the garden today.

I took the dog for a walk around our huge rear lawn yesterday afternoon, to give him some exercise, even with the torn ligament leg - don't want him atrophying, aka sleeping, on the couch all day and night. As we went past the veggie garden, I saw the hollyhocks are coming up again and the asparagus are shooting up. So we detoured into the garden and I snapped all the good asparagus, which Pickles promptly wanted! He LOVES his green veggies - raw or cooked, and especially asparagus, green beans, and snow peas.

Late in the snow pea season (around the end of June, early July, if I've missed picking some peas and they've gotten really big, I would let them dry on the vines and save them for seed. Sometimes, I'd pluck them and bring them into the kitchen. Dog waits by the door, *knowing* I'm gonna have yummy garden stuff for him.

I can hardly put all my stuff down, with him under my feet wanting his green treats! So I open the big pea pods and roll the fat peas across the floor, which he promptly chases down and gobbles up. I do the same thing with grapes, but he likes to play with the grapes first before eating them! If I give him a stalk or a long green bean and he runs into the family room with it, like it's the best treat he's ever gotten, and he needs to get it away from us asap!

But I never cleaned the garden up properly last autumn. Dead stuff needs removing, and the weeds are taking over the empty beds, as, like last summer, I'm not planting anything except some lettuce, maybe. I want to be MOVED before anything comes to fruition, so I'm not committing myself to the veggie garden, and it *is* a 6-month commitment. But at least I can keep it from looking abandoned.

The dogwoods are blooming, as are the lilacs, bleeding hearts, and apple trees. The cherry trees and the 1 pear tree is done blooming. The lily of the valley are just about to open, and soon the peonies will take over, then the jasmine and the wild roses. Even though my heirloom roses haven't had a good time of it here, we're surrounded by wild roses, edging, as well as within, the woods. It's intoxicating. May buyers flock here and, drugged by the scent, promptly place excellent offers!

Speaking of flock, 2 Canadian geese have set up residence again this year. It's a given. Every year, either 1 or 2 goosie couples returns to our humble, acre-sized pond to rear their cute little fuzz-heads. Then in autumn, flocks of momma and baby turkeys take up residence, and I watch them as they try to teach the babes to fly up into the bushes and low-lying tree branches. Isn't Nature wonderful!

All I'm missing is some sheep, a few goats, preferably either angora or cashmere goats!, and a chicken or 2 for fresh eggs. Hubby would be so pleased with my having a menagerie! I can't help it, I find animals to often be infinitely better company than many humans, especially as they never complain or talk your ears off, without letting you get a word in edge-wise. They're not manipulative or controlling, difficult to get along with, nor have any ulterior motives. They're always grateful for any love and food sent their way. They're never dull or boring and aren't usually laden down with psychological problems they are in denial about, or don't wish to address. People could well do worse than to emulate animals.