Paddie in the Garden....

Beverly Nichols once wrote that he cannot imagine a garden without a cat. I cannot imagine my garden without Paddie. She is the same age as the gardens at our home and learned early on to be a good garden dog. I love all my dogs but truthfully, the boy pups refuse to learn good manners in the garden. Paddie can be let out and won't stray from our property, she chases cats and squirrels away and tolerates the rabbits as I do. She asks for very little except for an occasional toss of the ball. She keeps me company as I work and doesn't dig or need to be babysat. She is the perfect dog and one that most of my friends wish they had.

Here are the crocuses blooming before the rabbits ate them (about an hour after we were done). I like cleaning out the garden. I like the smell of the earth and rediscovering what has returned and what has not. There is a misconception among some people that cottage gardens such as my own are pretty maintenance-free. Au contraire, mon ami. First of all, I never met a year that I didn't change something in the garden. The joy of course is that just about everything is portable (except the bigger trees) so one never needs to get bored with the way that things are.

But there are other factors as well. Some plants self sow to the point of becoming a nuisance, other plants fade with time. This year, I need to replace delphiniums which seem to last in our garden for about 5 years and never seem to self sow. Years ago, I started all my plants by seed but I am content with buying plants this year.

It is all good though. Because I am outside and the air smells good and I have my special companion with me. I love LOVE LOVE spring.