Coneflower transplanting

Charlie does have the cutest looking face though. Our former elderly neighbor had a Peke and he was the same. He'd come over to see me IF and WHEN he decided he wanted attention by me. That was a dog with an attitude.

What's pet therapy? Is that like obedience class?

Pet therapy at the nursing home - Han is so big that when someone is walking using a walker or being guided, he HAS to sit down, be still and wait. Should he decide to move, he could knock them down by accident. Somehow he knows to really mind me when we're at the nursing home and there are frail, elderly around.

ah, ok, that makes sense now. I believe you mentioned that before, it just slipped by mind... as lots of things do these days!! Amazing Han understands when you're there that he needs to obey. We just had DH's 96 year old gram here today, we busted her out of the nursing home so I could cut and fix her hair. Had to put the pooches in their kennels. They are just way too rambunctious when visitors arrive and I wouldn't trust them. She does great other than being unsteady on her feet.

Yup, that's why it is so important Han mind me. He seems to know when he's leashed and in the nursing home, that he HAS to stay still and mind me. He just does an amazing job. That's sweet to do Grandma's hair - I bet she felt good getting it cut and fixed. Somehow, a new haircut always makes life seem better.

sorry, work is a bear these days....

Oh what a sweet picture of Gracie. You can see the collie spirit in her. Thanks for sharing her picture

Sweet Peat, how in the world could yall not have heard of this.... oh wait I forget that there are states out there that don't horses on their land as much as the common wealth of kentucky does....LOL

Sweet peat is a nice way of saying horse manure....

this is one of the best fertilizers I've ever used in my garden, and now some of my garden members are starting to believe me. My beginning garden went from nothing to incredible in one years time. Now we are working on letting some horse manure age so that it will be ready for next years garden.

Look around for some riding stables and take a truck and get it. Most places are happy to have someone haul it away.

Just make sure you let it age before using or it will burn your plants. This is also excellent for veg gardens.

Janet

Alright, now I get it! That's funny... I had taken my mom to Shipshewana, IN - an Amish community week before last. I was commenting how I'd LOVE to scoop up that horse poop from the roads and take it home to age over the winter for my garden. That was until I got close enough for a good whiff....LOL.... I decided I'd have needed a way to transport it home OUTSIDE my vehicle.

I believe there are still a couple of people who still own horses in the area. If not, Arlington Park racetrack is only about 10 miles or so from here. I'm sure there's plenty there. Just gotta take the pickup truck.

Also, always wanted to go to the United Center when the Circus was in town for elephant manure. Never did though...

now if you can get your hands on some goat, rabbit manure those are good ones also and the best part, you don't have to let it age. You can use it right away in the garden.

don't know if you have ever had wild rabbits through your yard but if you watch where their droppings have been in the yard how that clump of grass grows greener....LOL

Yes pick up some bins at wal mart then use those to fill with the horse manure and then dump them and let it sit outside over the winter.

Now good horse manure will have some smell but not a smell that is bad, more sweet smell, now not sweet as in flower sweet smell just a nice earthy sweet smell.

Call me nuts but I do love the smell of a barn...LOL

Janet

Oh my gosh, I love the smell of the barn! My husband is 4th generation of an Iowa farm and it's one of my favorite places in the world. I so love the smell of the cattle and hay, yummmmmmmmmmm. I also love the smell of pupppy breath so call me weird, LOL.

Sweet peat is horse poopey? That is way funny - I literally laughed when I read that. Here I thought it was some amazIng new organic fertilizer I'd have to reseach online, how funny!!!

We have a wild bunny that lives under our hostas. I always forget he's there until I water and then he startles me when he dashes away. Always comes back though. So far, he hasn't caught Han's attention!

Hope you both are having a great weekend! Janet, isn't Gracie lovely for being so abused? Have I sent you her website and story before?

no not her website, please send.

I'm a sucker for the rescues....LOL

You are funny now that you know the code for sweet peat....LOL

Janet

Hay,

sorry to get off track again on your thread, but since you are collecting seeds for WS have you purchased any seeds from JonnaSudenius in Daves Market place. She has some of the most incredible seeds and the price is good. If you place more than one order she will combine all orders to cut down on shipping. She lives in Belgium and after I've paid (paypal) my seeds get here quicker than trying to mail first class letter from the east coast to the west coast.

Check her out for some really incredible seeds.

I have framing for a hoop greenhouse and will be getting an early start next year on seeds. I plan to sell some of the plants to pay for my soil purchases that I make. We have clay soil and I make raised beds using good top soil, SWEET PEAT and leaf humus.

I highly recommend her. Best place to purchase seeds from.

Janet

Janet, stop!!! I have so many seeds to winter sow, I mean a WHOLE refrigerator drawer full, and a small lot to plant them on, LOL! Now you give me another site to buy from ... yikes ... "Hello, my name is Cynthia and I'm a seed-a-holic." Please help..... :^)

http://members.petfinder.org/~MO233/grace.html
Here is Gracie's story - you won't believe how old, frail and beat up she was when my dear friend Linda rescued her. She is coming to visit me in November and bringing Gracie and Luke (Han's bro) so I can't wait to see them. Gracie is my god-dog and I'm anxious to get some nose kisses in.

I think this thread has gone in so many different directions it's funny. I guess part of DG is making gardening friends, tho, and sharing stories - ours tend to run around our dogs, LOL.

Dogs and gardening what a great combination in my book...

Janet

Mine too! Collies and coneflowers, LOL. Would you believe I dropped some seeds in the ground when I transplanted my mother in law's coneflowers and I have little tiny sprouts coming up. I know they'll die, but it is encouraging that I can grow new flowers in our terrible dirt.

At least Cynthia started this thread so we don't have to worry that's we're hijacking someone's thread, right?

I agree, dogs and gardening - the two things that keep me sane in life!

Just read Grace's story. It's a heartbreaking story. It doesn't surprise me she had heartworm so bad. Why would they bother with heartworm medication when she was used as bait. Truly sounds like she's a miracle dog. So she's still currently in rescue? It was heartwarming to see what great progress Grace made though in the year her story covers. It's great to see them actually acting like dogs. That's why my Mo is so spoiled.

Regarding Grace's arthritis supplements - we used them with our girl, Georgie who was 13 1/2 and had severe in her front paw due to breaking her toes several times (chasing those darn squirrels) and they worked really well to relieve her pain, so I really do believe in them. She had a very sensitive stomach and had a hard time with Rimadyl or anything like that. Our other dog, Cody, who grew up with Georgie had heartworm when we got her. I got her from a guy at work who built a new house and his wife didn't want her in her new house. I was so mad at him when I learned she had heartworm - something that is so preventable. That was the early '90's and I remember it being a harsh treatment on her. We lost her to liver cancer at 13 1/2 also. She was a a great dog. The guy I got her from didn't know what he was missing.

Well back to the topic of coneflowers.

I cut mine down today as I'm in tidy mode getting the garden ready for winter, which is fast approaching...ouch..

I really hated to cut them down cause the birds are having so much fun eating the seeds, but for two months I've not been able to keep up with the garden, (life kept getting in the way), so I just wanted neat... But I think I'll collect some seeds then take the rest to the back yard bird feeding station and leave them already picked .....

Janet

Janet, your flowers are beautiful - I know that tidy mode. Mine are still blooming so pretty that I'm just gonna let them die and go to seed so maybe they'll grow more next year (it's my first year). I'll post a photo of my new garden sometime this week.

Cheryl, I keep Han on Synovi G3 for his joints - Gracie is on a product one step up called Phycox. Both are glucosamine products that help with the arthritis - I don't want to put Han on anything prescription unless he really needs it. So far, he is faring very well and it's a miracle Gracie can walk considering her leg injuries.

And yes, since I started this thread I guess if we get off topic for a while it's okay. We'll always come back to coneflowers ... though next we'll be on the Winter Sowing theads (soon). LOL.

Hay you too, go to this site, I use Marina all the time. Benefin(sp) Shark cartilage is the most natural and easiest on the stomach to take for bone pain. Expensive but very good. I use to take it for bone spurs for my feet.

www.naturalrearing.com


Janet

Cynthia - Synovi G3 is what I used to give Georgie! It was recommended by a holistic vet. I read up on the Phycox after reading Grace's story. I've been giving my Gracie and Mo Triple Joint Max - my friend's vet told her you can start them at a young age and it will help keep their joints flexible. Don't know if I'm throwing my money out the window or not but Gracie's 4 1/2 and still lays frog-style all the time. For as hard as she works in the field, I think it's good for her to be on it.

Janet - Thanks for the link to Natural Rearing. I will look at it when I'm finished here on DG. I'm trying to help Mo with this biting thing/ allergies/ whatever. I was taking her to this holistic vet who is well thought of in this area. I was spending an absolute fortune and not seeing any difference. I just couldn't go that route anymore. I'm trying to avoid putting her on medication the rest of her life. So, I try different things as long as I'm confident it's safe for her.

Medinac:

I'm sending a pm since I'm about to go way off topic.

Janet