More cool stuff

It's been madly hot this last week. I put my portable car thermometer out in the patio to see just how hot it was getting: it shot up to 94 F and then started going into meltdown. I promptly brought both it and Archie and Angel back indoors again. They love to sunbathe, but aren't always sensible about it.

Lisa loved splashing in her paddling pool

Loves sun, hates water ...

When they first came to live here, I got out the old clam shell plastic paddling pool, thinking that they might like to paddle and play a few games in it as my previous dogs had. No, not a bit of it - they were absolutely appalled at the thought of dipping so much as a toe in it. Angel very reluctantly sploshed in to retrieve a few food treats floating in there, taking them elsewhere to eat. Archie, after a lot of deliberation and realising that his neck was not going to stretch far enough to be able to get hold of 
his tennis ball floating in it, gingerly put first one, then two front paws in, retrieved the ball and took it off indoors in disgust.
No matter how much I tried to interest them in it, they just didn't want to know, and eventually I gave up. The clam shell has, however, gone on to be useful in other ways - it has been converted into a shallow wildlife pond up on the allotment, and a gang of frogs now call it home. You don't have to be so drastic of course if your dog doesn't take to the idea of paddling either - a clam shell also makes a brilliant digging pit for your dog (fill with clean top soil, then bury a few 'treasures' for added excitement) and because it is portable, can be moved around the garden to wherever you want it. And it can also be multi-function: when it isn't being a paddling pool in warm weather, fill the empty shell with balls instead and hide treats or favourite toys in there instead.
If you have a dog that is a water lover, a paddling pool is a great way of having a bit of cooling-down fun on a warm day. If it is the rigid clam shell type, place a rubber bath mat in the bottom to give a bit of grip to paws. If you haven't yet bought a pool, it's worth looking into the canvas type which are a little bigger. They are self-supporting so do not need blowing up. Plastic children's pools may not last very long as claws can easily burst them.

If you are planning to install a water feature in your garden, install a dog friendly one for preference: bubble fountains can look good, and can also be fun for dogs to play with. If you are going for a more traditional pond, build it with shallow sides so that wildlife (as well as your dog) can easily escape from it and always keep an eye on your dog while out in the garden. Youngsters and elderly dogs can get into trouble in even the shallowest of water. With permanent garden ponds, keep an eye out also for blue green algae which can be a problem with standing water in hot water and can be fatal to your dog if he ingests it.   





Finally, this caught my eye the other morning: a slug munching on a snail for breakfast. Ick. I suppose that at least it is keeping down a garden pest and not eating my garden plants ...

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Cool stuff to do in the garden

Lots of us had spectacular lightning storms last night: there has even been a

bit of much-needed rain - it's just started again as I type this. I shall be glad to be able to skip a lot of the watering today - although the hanging baskets and pots will still need to be checked as foliage, blooms and a close proximity to walls can all mean that they don't get as much to drink when it rains as you might think they would.

The hot weather is not yet at an end however, according to the weather forecasters - there's still more to come.

With warm weather, apart from watering, it's time to think of cool things to do in the garden ...

one of Archie and Angel's favourite pastimes is to take a Kong out there.

Pack the tiny hole at the bottom with a dab of cream cheese or peanut butter,

pour a bit of low or non-fat fruit yogurt in through the big hole

(it helps if you first stand it upright in an old small yogurt carton so it doesn't

all slosh out) and pop it in the freezer until it's solid. I sometimes also add small pieces of fruit and bits of

biscuit to the yogurt to make it a bit more exciting.

Run it briefly under a running tap before giving it to your dog so

there is no danger of tongues getting stuck to it ... and the garden really is the best place

to enjoy this treat, as it can be a bit messy. 

But it gives a lot of fun, and lasts much longer than a Cornetto does for me! 

  

Angel likes to pin hers down with a paw and then gets stuck into it.

Archie likes to take his somewhere private ...

... and then gets up to all sorts of manouevres trying to find the best way of
getting the very last bit out of the end ! 

How does your dog eat his?

Tasty!

Once big enough to leave the shed, the tomatoes
and cape gooseberries were moved out to a cold frame in the front garden,
where the dogs can't access them.

Shop bought tomatoes never taste as good as home grown ones bursting with flavour. If you don't want to buy a whole packet of seeds which you probably won't use,  for the same amount of money you can buy just one or two seedlings ready to pot on. This will also mean you don't also end up with a huge glut of fruits, but just the amount you can use - although if you do go a bit mad and grow lots of plants, friends may be glad to have any which are surplus to requirements, and you can of course bottle and preserve and make sauces to put in the freezer.

But you must make sure that tomato plants are kept safely out of the way of your dogs as they are not good for them to nibble on. It belongs to the nightshade family Solanaceae, so be respectful! Although the ripe, red fruits are relatively safe, green tomatoes, plus the leaves and vines are toxic.

Dogs do not always appreciate the importance of waiting for things to ripen: given the chance Angel will happily munch her way through as many unripened strawberries as she can snaffle rather than wait till they reach their luscious best - although she eats those too. So keep your tomato plants safely away from pets, so they can't be sampled: mine, plus a crop of cape gooseberries are being grown in the front garden which the dogs don't have free acess to.

Remember that there are other plants too which although humans can safely consume them, are toxic to dogs - including grapes, onions and avocados. As you don't want your dog snacking on something which may be bad for him (or assisting your gardening by 'watering' plants for you either) fruit and veg are probably best grown in areas where your dog is not allowed - if it is a spot within the garden, make sure it is very securely fenced off - or on an allotment.

Allotments are in great demand, and in many areas there is a waiting list - but the sooner you get your name down for one, the sooner you'll get one!

 

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The perfect plant for lazy gardeners

Just starting to bloom ...

This picture really doesn't do the plant justice.

I love seeing the sempervivums blooming - the delicate little clusters of  star-like

flowers growing on the ends of triffid-like stalks are a real delight.

But even when they aren't in flower, the foliage is still lovely all the year round.

Even the common names are wonderful - the Latin name means 'live forever' but they are also known as hen and chicks and houseleeks - the latter due to the traditional practice of

      growing them on roofs to ward off lightning strikes.

They are easy to keep and pretty hardy and even thrive on neglect - they don't need lavishing with lots of water and feeding - quite the reverse in fact. They like dry conditions and only moderate watering so are the perfect plant for lazy gardeners. As they are pet friendly, they are perfect for doggy gardens too!

If you have a sunny spot on a rockery they will love it, but if not, or if your soil tends to be wet and cloggy, try them in a tub - or even a small pot will do if you are stuck for space. Fill it with compost to which 25% horticultural grit has been added, as good drainage is important. Add your sempervivums, plus a bit more grit on the surface to further aid drainage, place in a sunny spot and enjoy!

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Unwelcome visitors

Snoozing in front of live-action doggy TV

    I've been keeping the bird feeders well stocked throughout the winter and Spring months and have enjoyed watching our feathered visitors - it has been nice to see the sparrows back in force, although the starlings seem to be scarce this year. They all make good use of the two bird baths as well, the blackbirds and pigeons especially.
All the bird activity outside does of course, make good doggy TV for Archie and Angel as well, who can lounge on their giant beanbag in a patch of sunshine and enjoy the view through the patio windows.
    While feeding the birds has resulted in lots of avian visitors, unfortunately it has also attracted a rather less welcome one. I haven't had cats in the garden for age, and hoped they had finally got the hint and decided to visit elsewhere. Cats are not good news in my garden, as Archie and Angel cannot abide them and will chase them, given the chance. On several occasions they have gotten tangled up with them, which has resulted in some horrible injuries to them including scratches in mouths and eyes as well as deep skin wounds that have required stitching. Every close encounter of the feline kind has resulted in a vet visit ... and I've received cat bites and scratches too separating the combatants, which have meant visits to doctors and courses of antibiotics.

    Despite such encounters, the cats never seemed to learn and  continued to pay repeated visits. Letting the dogs loose in the garden now means precautions have to be taken: I wander round out there either by myself or with the dogs on a leash to first check that the coast is clear - but even so, there have been a couple of felines who brazenly ignored my presence and would lurk undetected under shrubs. So I then had to start going out alone with a stick, to poke it into the shrubbery to dislodge any unwanted intruders ...
Part of the tidying up that has been going on in the back garden this year has been primarily to make it more low maintenance and to increase the space that Archie and Angel have to race around in. But it has also been about making it more open with fewer good hiding spots for cats to conceal themselves in. So far it seems to have worked well, and there have been very few cats around, which has been nice both for us and the birds ... until the last few weeks, when a black cat has been frequently appearing, presumably unable to resist the attraction of the birds. Whenever I have spotted it I have chased it off, and when it has reached safety on the shed roof I have let the dogs out. I don't like encouraging their desire to chase, but I hoped that the creature might get the hint that this particular garden was not a particularly good one to loiter in.

Checking out the crime scene

    Not a bit of it. The last two mornings the wretched beast has been lurking in the shadow of the fenceline created the rising sun; thank goodness I had taken the precaution of taking the dogs out on their leashes, otherwise things could have been nasty. And yesterday morning we were greeted by the sight of scattered pigeon feathers on the lawn ... No blood or bodies  and I would imagine a pigeon would be too heavy for a cat to carry off, so hopefully it survived.
But the garden since then has been noticeably bare of bird visitors, which is sad.

And here's one we rescued a few nights ago
after it had fallen down the chimney.
You can read more about it on last Tuesday's whippet blog
HERE

Prikka strip. Even this inexpertly applied
it still makes the fence an
unpleasant place  for cats to sit or
walk along

Over the years I have tried all sorts of things to keep cats out of the garden. Cat proof fencing isn't possible due to the fenceline, although Prikka strips have helped discourage them from using it as a walkway.  I've tried every conceivable smell aversion trick known, ranging from lion poo to garlic and citronella. I've used water pistols, and a directional ultrasonic thingy I can point at them when I've spotted them as well as physically chasing them out of the garden.  But I have yet to come across a really effective way of getting them to keep their distance.


If it's a problem you have solved, I'd love to know!

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Brightening up the fence line

I took my Mum to the garden centre yesterday, so she could shop for some more bedding plants while I picked up some dog food at the same time from the attached pet store.  
As well as filling up her trolley with plants, she also acquired this dragonfly - another piece of wall art to add to her growing collection. If you don't (or can't) have climbing plants, wall art can be a great way of adding interest to your garden and will look good all year round.

This is another piece of wall art which Mum has had for several years now - she loves having a bee as it was her nickname at school.

Some wall art can also incorporate plants.

This wall planter is decorative all year round and in summer

bursts into bloom.

Because it was slightly damaged, Mum was able to buy it very cheaply too!

Not all fences are suitable for hanging wall art, or are sturdy enough to support the weight of flower containers. We found a solution by using the stakes and hooks of a freestanding bird-feeding station to help support this flying pig. (And yes, I know, these nut and fat ball containers need refilling!)

And of course, it is all out of the way of the dogs ... 

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Flaming June!

The weather has finally changed for the sunnier, and it looks as though for once Flaming June is going to live up to its name. While it is good news for plants, those on holiday and sunlovers generally, do bear in mind that old maxim about everything in moderation. 

Go for walks at cooler times of day ...

Two people from the double glazing company turned up this week to replace a cracked panel in the patio doors. All started well, and then one of them started feeling nauseous and had to have a sit down. Then he started feeling dizzy and light headed too ... we suspected that he was suffering from the effects of too much sun and promptly removed him to a shady spot, swathed him in cool wet towels, kept him plied with tepid water to sip at, and kept a close eye on him. By the time his mate had finished installing the new glass, he was feeling a little better - and luckily he had someone with him to see him safely home. But it does show how quickly heatstroke can set in, and with no warning. It wasn't one of the hottest of days - around 21 degrees - and was overcast a lot of the time. But it shows that you don't need high temperatures or even clear skies to suffer from problems.

Avoid strenuous activity ...

So gardeners take care - work in the garden at the cooler times of the day and follow the Aussie advice to 'Slip, slap, slop'   - slip on a shirt/slap on a hat/slop on the suncream. You could also add the PS to that - slam on your sunglasses, stay in the shade and sip plenty of water. It's sensible advice!

Find a shady spot indoors to snooze in ...

Your dog is also at risk of heatstroke during warmer weather - you can find out more about how to treat it by clicking on these links to articles by Dogs Trust and Vets Now . Bearing in mind that it can be fatal, prevention is obviously far preferable to having to deal with a stricken pet, so be prepared to monitor your dog. Symptoms to look out for can be found on both the above links. Take preventive measures such as taking your dog for walks when temperatures are cooler ie early morning and late evening, and don't indulge in very active games such as chasing after balls. Many dogs are dedicated sun worshippers, but just as you would with a small child, take care that he doesn't overdo the sunbathing. Some may also need a dab or two of suncream to prevent burning of areas where fur is sparse - ask your vet for a suitable product as not all human ones are appropriate for dogs and can cause irritation. Encourage him to snooze in shady spots when he's out in the garden, and to come indoors to a cool room when the sun is at its highest and hottest, between 11 am and 3 pm. Make sure that wherever he is, he has access to fresh clean water at all times. Don't leave him in the conservatory if you have one, and double check greenhouses to make sure that he (or any pet cats) don't accidentally get shut in - both can kill just as effectively and quickly as leaving your dog in a locked car. Remember the lesson learned by the double glazing man - temperatures don't need to be massively high, or for the sun even to be out, for your dog to experience problems!