Gardening with Pets
As some of you may know, I am a pet owner. Two geriatric cats, two Shetland Sheepdogs, and four goldfish. One of the cats, and both dogs are frequently found out in the garden with me whenever I go out there, and actually spend much more time out there than I do, so I do have to take them into consideration as I design and plant every season. They are great companions, and good teachers too.
The dogs- Bea and Byrdie, absolutely detest squirrels, and will spend a great deal of time and energy keeping them out of the yard, or at least up a tree, so there are certain spots and pathways that I have given up on trying to get anything to grow, and have just spread bark mulch to make a nice pathway or a finished look to the base of a tree. If their preferred pathway happens to be over a prized specimen, I put an interesting garden ornament behind it, so they have to go around. This creates an obstacle course in the yard, especially behind the garage, where the wear on the pathway around the trellised center bed is actually becoming steeply banked on the end, and they’ve worn a rut into the pathway just by chasing that squirrel up on the wires. I’ve learned to adjust to changes.
If I am out in the garden, they will follow me around, wanting to help in some way, chasing the rake, barking at the mower and the wheel barrow, chasing the balls I find while weeding,and playing tug ‘O war with the hose. Where-ever I am, they want to be. Everything is fun, everything is a game- dogs are like that. They remind me to have fun in the garden, play ball for a bit, to play in the dirt.
As spring turns into summer and fruits and vegetables start to ripen, the dogs love to follow me as I harvest, waiting to sample whatever I’ve picked that day, and sometimes help themselves to whatever they can reach. They absolutely love the raspberries, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, peaches and apricots that I grow- Byrdie has even learned to pick only the ripe cherry tomatoes. I do wish she’d leave some for me! Bea politely waits for me to offer one. I’ve learned to share the harvest and enjoy the flavors of just off the vine produce.
The cat Minnah is at least low impact, she likes to stroll around the garden, snoozes under the larger Hostas, and has her favorite catnip patches here and there, so is frequently stoned out of her gourd. She is also quite the little hunter, and keeps down the mouse population in the area, along with the occasional sparrow. She also reminds me to take a break every now and then by rubbing around my ankles and strolling over to a bench or chair, inviting me to sit for a while and pet her on my lap. Even in the winter she will sit in the sun on a bench, showing me how nice it is to sit in the sun on the deck on a warmer winter day- sometimes I will even join her out there for a bit. From her, I’ve learned to take time to relax.
I do believe she thinks the deck is ‘her’ deck. Several years ago, I started to feed her out there- putting a small dish of food out under the shade umbrella on the table just for her. I had grown tired of letting her in for a quick nibble, then letting her out again to hang out in the garden. Now there is one of those metal structures on the deck, canvas covered in the warmer months, and she enjoys that even more. As soon as the weather starts to warm up in the spring she wants her dish out there and the cover put on the frame. She is usually right about the arrival of spring and I follow her advice, and start arranging the garden for spring and summer. I’ve learned it’s never to early to start thinking about spring.
Soon after the deck furniture is set up, I put my small water feature (a half whiskey barrel with a hand-pump that trickles water) out there too and allow the water to warm a bit before moving the goldfish out to their summer residence. They winter in a tank in the house, but really seem to prefer the darker shaded water in their barrel. Even though their homes are only 20 gallons each, they have grown to be about eight inches long, and their colors are very pretty in the dark water. They are my second set of fish- the first set became raccoon dinner one night a few years ago. I’ve learned not to name goldfish. The running water of the hand-pump can be heard in the house, in the two back bedrooms and the family room, and creates a very relaxing atmosphere out there.
And that’s where you’ll find me most fine summer evenings- out on the deck, sipping a nice cold beer, reading a book, cat on my lap, dogs at my feet, sitting next to the fishpond, relaxing after a great day in the garden. Care to join me?
See you in the garden!
Ellen Leigh Niemisto
