When it's too hot ...

I'm not really a hot weather person: I much prefer cooler Spring and Autumn to boiling summer months. And so much time is spent dashing around watering when I'd rather be doing other things ... on the plus side, I have been enjoying the first cherries, and the alpine strawberries have never been so productive (to the joy of Archie and Angel) ... and the grass isn't growing quite so fast in this weather, so at least there is less mowing to keep up with.

There are other pleasures as well in the dog-friendly gardening, top of the list of which in this current heatwave, is doggy icecream. It's easy enough to make - simply add mashed banana to some low fat yogurt, spoon it into a couple of mini yogurt pots and pop them in the freezer. When they're frozen, simply turn out of the yogurt pots and serve! If you want to make them last longer, try putting it into a Kong instead and freezing it - block the small hole first with a dab of cream cheese or peanut butter to stop the filling leaking out before it has frozen.

Getting your tongue right down to the end takes concentration ...

As time goes by ...

You know how it is ... your garden changes and evolves over the years, changing not just with the seasons or your tastes in plants, but sometimes quite radically to suit the changing needs of you or your dogs. And so it is with my garden - after finishing Dog-friendly gardening I was very busy writing another book, The Difficult Horse, with my friend Sarah Fisher. Inevitably the garden got a bit neglected and is now in need of a fairly drastic tidy up. Because the allotment is also making a lot of demands in terms of time, I've decided to simplify the garden so it needs a bit less maintenance. Losing some flowerbeds will also give my two whippets Archie and Angel a bit more space to scamper around in and make it more difficult for neighbourhood cats to hide out in the greenery. I do have plenty of plans for some interesting features to add though, so it is still a stimulating area for the dogs and a pleasant place for me to relax when I'm not writing or trying to keep up with weeding or harvesting produce on the allotment!

I'll try to post reasonably regularly here so you can see how things are progressing, and will pass on tips and details of projects. I'll also be adding details of the Dog friendly garden project at Tilley Farm near Bath, which all the money from the book is being donated to. When it is finished it should be a wonderful area where visiting dogs will have the opportunity to run and play safely off leash in a secure and stimulating environment. Tilley Farm plays host to many dogs from animal shelters - including a local greyhound charity and a number of foster dogs - who receive help from Sarah and other Tellington TTouch practitioners, and a safe place where they can relax and have fun is essential for them.
You can find out more about the book and about Sarah's work at the book's website HERE

Although there is a lot of work still to be done, you can see what a wonderful huge space the Tilley Farm dog friendly garden is going to be!

We paid a visit last weekend - the fencing is now all in place, and various features are beginning to pop up, providing lots of interest and things to explore.