Gardening Again!

[Judy Fox]

Yesterday Fred and I dug a bamboo plant up. The last two winters of frost and snow spoilt it and it did not survive.
Matilda and Maisie were very interested in what we were doing. There was a big bunch of snowdrops set right by the bamboo so we replanted them and filled in the hole and raked it all nicely.
We pottered around for a while doing little jobs that needed doing then I came in to get their dinner ready. Fred followed me in then went out about five minutes later.
He called me and there he was looking at a big hole. The little baggages had dug the whole patch up, including my snowdrops and they stood there with dirty front paws and great big chow chow grins on their faces.
There were bits of snowdrop all over the place.
I was furious and told them what naughty girls they were. They did not car a damn and just grinned at me.
So - we filled it all in - again - replanted the snowdrop bulbs - again!
They have been down sever times to have a look but have not touched it today. Mabel has been down with them.
So I think we have another pair of gardeners.
Milly and Mabel were very good at reorganising the garden for us when Milly was alive.

[Cam Atis]

Hello Ms Judy! I smiled when I read this post. I was about to ask regarding Cassie's gardening aspirations as well. We just planted my new lawn some bermuda grass (small wedges) and she would dig if let out in the lawn a little longer than usual. She does it out of sight. I hope to catch her in the act but no such luck yet. She behaves when I am around the garden. Being the little 'angel' that she is.

[Judy Fox]

Yes - they can put on their beautiful innocent expressions can't they? I think they have their little halos tucked away in their pockets to bring out when necessary!

[Cam Atis]

Lol! You are so right.

[Auddymay]

I have a spot on the north side of my back porch that I had filled with hostas. Pip took care of a few when she dug out a special spot to sleep. I did not replant those because Pip lay there every day, and just leveling the soil was a battle. It always would be 'contoured' for comfort. Pip died only a foot or so from that spot. Then came Lily and Haley's Montana. Pip's spot was expanded, and a few more hostas bit the dust. When I got Dillon, I asked Larry and Terrina if he was a digger. They said no. Within a few days I was outside in the yard picking up poo, and Dillon began adding his own contouring of the soil. Both Dillon and Lily have stepped on several Stainless Daffodils that are in the afore mentioned hosta bed as they hunted for the perfect spot to urinate. I will be moving those after the bloom is over, however many may actually get to throw a flower!

[Ursa's daddy]

Auddymay, the picture with my two and the amaryllis is outside the fence. I am having to relocate my bulbs because bed seems to be a good place to sleep. What is amazing is that I had a bulb bed in Savannah, and they decided that was a good place to sleep too.

[Cam Atis]

My Cassie loved to pull out the weeds from the milk can, they which I normally weed out from the soil. So I suspect her she also pulls the bermuda off the soil with her mouth as I can spot bermuda wedges here and there uprooted. Poor grass they just turned green and Cassie here decided she wants to replant them somewhere. I seldom see them around lately (the ones she digged) coz if I did I will replant them as i bought them per square feet and chopped the thing and re-plant. (seed grass not available here). I hope she be a better gardener than I am . struggling to be one.

[Auddymay]

I was going to post this in a separate area, but it is a prime example of my little angel at the beginning of the clip. Also, you will note there is a long strip on the left sideof the 'zoom' that was a previous vegetable bed, but is now ready for grass seed...I am not optimistic about it's chances.

http://youtu.be/0-kaS48LFFM

[Ursa's daddy]

Last summer was dry and the grass is rough in the back yard. We have had to add a few more pavers as you come off the steps on the deck. My two have cut a pretty good path there.

[Zhuyos mom]

....Milly and Mabel were very good at reorganising the garden for us when Milly was alive.

We're the first set of M's actually looking through your garden for a little chow boy? Fred best not trim the pompass grass this year!!!

[Ursa's daddy]

Now my chows are really not bad about the gardens. They just want a soft spot to sleep. Before the chows, my son had a husky. She would dig craters for a spot to sleep. Anyone who thinks a chow is hard headed needs to talk to husky owners.

[Judy Fox]

Yes, you are right Zhuyos Mum! Milly and Mabel used to look in the strawberries for a little chow boy puppy. They thought that they would find a red one in the strawberries or a black one in the blackberry patch! Sadly, they did not find one.
These two M's are just into digging random holes - the little baggages.
Sadly the pampas grass expired last winter so this time last year we had to dig it up. The big root ball lay in the garden until it was dried up enough to chop up. When we did this a couple of weeks ago we found a little sprig of pampas growing so I have rescued it and hope it will grow.
Mabel still looks for it, bless her. She and Milly loved to hide from us under it.
I must admit, when I see the spot where it was, I miss Milly Ching.

[Ursa's daddy]

Judy, my two don't dig, so that is not an issue. I have taken to putting stakes next the the bulbs as a temporary solution. They won't lie on them and haven't figured out that the stakes can be pulled up with their teeth. Now when I was in Savannah, they found that the pineapple plants could be pulled up and made great footballs that they could tussle with.

[Auddymay]

So sad about the Pampas grass, Judy! I was envious of your beautiful specimen. I have a good sized Porcupine grass, but it does not compare to the Pampas Grass. My zone is 5, too cold for it here.

[Judy Fox]

I planted the little bit of pampas in a pot and put it with my row of strawberry pots!
This morning they were out and I was sitting having a second cup of tea with the morning paper. Fred went out and called me - the little baggages had "un-planted" the pampas had it in the middle of the lawn - sitting with it wondering what to do next.
I told them that life as they knew it was over but they just sat and grinned at me. They just do not care a damn!

[Auddymay]

Ah Jude, they know not what they do. It's all just a silly game. You will end up with Chow-proof metal cages around all unsuspecting starts before this battle is over!

[Judy Fox]

Thump they do, Audrey!
I have replanted the little bit - now even smaller - and put it in the greenhouse - for safety.

Fred called me today and there were two "Bag Chows" standing in the greenhouse looking up onto the table where the plant pot is!

Their fat woolly faces were close together as though they were discussing how to get it!

I think I am going to have to make a garden on top of the flat roof of the shed then I will go up there and live in it with the plants I want to protect!

[Ursa's daddy]

LOL Judy, I am sure that you have their discussion figured out correctly. My two decided that the pineapples were great toys. They didn't bother any of the other plants, but decided that a rugby type game was a suitable use for them. If I try to grow pineapples again, I will have to try it in the front yard.

[Cam Atis]

Ms Judy I got curious what a pampass grass is that seemed to be the envy of ms audymay, and I saw it is the plant very obiquitous or common in my area that we call them Tambo. My hunch is confirmed after searching common names. The peasants will make a floor sweeper out of its flowers. And we dont value it much as an ornamental plant.it just grows everywhere.
Funny thing that we are of different parts of the globe, why, Cassie will pull out my precious bermuda wedges that are hard to come by in my place so although bermuda is quite common in your place, it is very valuable in my eyes as far as my garden is concerned and this little chowling will pull out a quick sneak attack on the poor grass who are just staring to take root and I dont know where she hides those cuttings/wedges. I guess she buries them in some of her digs. I am about to go call and buy another batch of bermuda. I hope they got enough growing to sell me.
She just love to pull them from soil and play around as sometimes when I am in the garden she would attempt to pull with her teeth but since I am there, she'd give me a look that says : "just kidding!"
I agree when you say they know what they are doing. Half of my drive way is already depleted of the grass especially under the car where she frequently hang out. I move to car now to see the damage.

[Judy Fox]

The Pampass we had was a lovely specimen but what was most important about it was that Milly and Mabel loved it and would shelter from the sun under it or hide from us.

When Fred used to trim it when it got out of hand, they used to get upset.

then when it started to sprout they would lie under it even though it wasn't really big enough.

This was the last time he cut it down. As you see it had lovely big plumes. He stuck them in the hedge because the birds used to pluck the bits off them to line their nests.

[Cam Atis]

Lovely sight to see them under the Pampass. I'm beginning to think - try planting some here in my lawn and perhaps it will help Cassie cool down,

[Judy Fox]

They do make lovely shelter for them. My Milly bless her, loved it when she was here. Mabel broke her heart when Milly died and would go and sit under the pampass where they used to go together.

This is Mabel just after it had started to grow again.

[Sirchow]

I love the photo of M & M under the Pampas. What a beautiful pair they were together.

They are little devils how they love to "help" with the garden. Izzie rearranged all the tulips I had planted last year and only a few were happy with their new locations and have come up which is sad but she did enjoy helping bless her lol

[Judy Fox]

Yes they are little baggages. thios is the bit of pampass that I managed to save from the dead root ball.


and this is how it looks now I have re-potted it and put it out of reach.

[Cam Atis]

Poor grass. What can I say but your chowdren definitely couldn't wait for the grass to grow. I wish I could share the photos of my lawn as well...