Do dogs and gardening mix? I'd have to say yes, despite the state of my lawn!
Do dogs and gardening mix? I'd have to say yes, despite the state of my lawn! Magic, our miniature poodle, is a great companion, offering the unconditional love only dogs can give. She's most often observed at this time of year belly-up on the lawn, soaking up the sun. What a life.
When it comes to gardening, her first love is watering, as previously described in this blog. It's hard getting through an evening of watering over summer without Magic getting involved (and soaked during the process).
But a dog must earn its keep, and Magic plays a useful role in pest control. In the past she's played a part in deterring squirrels from ravaging the peanut feeders, but more recently I've been bothered by woodpigeons that have taken up residence. Every time I look down the garden, a woodpigeon is pecking away at the lawn. To be honest I'm not sure what it's eating, but it could be the clover (does anyone know if pigeons eat clover?).
Now this on its own wouldn't really be a problem, but these big fat pigeons leave their own deposits in their wake, and the lawn is getting into quite a state. At a time of year when the family enjoy stretching out on the grass, it's creating a clear-up job before we can even venture out.
Magic to the rescue! She watches through the glazed back door for the first signs of pigeon activity, then gets our attention. As we open the door, Magic bolts past to scatter the pigeons back into surrounding trees. No risk of catching them, I'm afraid, but is does curtail their feeding, along with 'other' activities.
The problem is, as soon as Magic returns inside and the door is closed, our unwanted visitors return too. My pigeon vigil continues.
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