Garden Critters

Some Things Just Go Hand-In-Hand.
I’ve been providing horticultural services for over 30 years, and I can say with confidence that there are certain types of people who have a true love of plants. From the simple exotic Orchid to the complex landscape design, there are people out there who have made plants an important part of their life. Obviously, I am one of them.
New plantings in beds or containers are planned with meticulous attention to detail, parties and special events use plants and flowers as an intricate part of the decorating, often using plants from our gardens. New plants or flowers added to the interior bring a feeling of joy. There is a special feeling of contentment felt when we can spend a day working in the garden.

Yet, there is something else I’ve noticed about plant lovers; most are also ANIMAL lovers!

There are days that I go from account to account, and I am tripping over dogs. Puppies looking for attention, adolescent dogs looking to play and mature dogs content to just say hello and then continue their nap. It’s hard to concentrate on the job instead of spending time with all these loving dogs! The only downfall to this part of my job is that when I got home, my dog was jealous of all those doggy smells on me. So it’s a quick shower before I could give him the love he deserves from me.

And then there are those wonderful cats. They act indifferent to your presence, but they are right there to inspect your water bucket and tools. There are a few who will follow me from plant to plant, just to make sure I’m doing my job right. And there are a few that will try to steal the tie tape out of my tools, or play hide-&-seek in the plants. There is even one that jumps up to play in the water as I fill my bucket or water the plants. Funny, my cats do that too.

Of course, other animals are also pets for us plant lovers. Birds, Guinea Pigs, Reptiles of many kinds, and even Pot-Bellied Pigs. I’ve seen all of these on my accounts, and each homeowner has a place in their heart for their special pet. And many include their pets in their gardening enjoyment.

But I have to say that dogs and cats will always be my favorite!