Greenfingers Garden club talks dogs
Guest speaker Jan de Waal explained how he trained puppies for the Guide Dog Association.
LAST month’s Greenfingers Garden Club meeting took place at Relton Hall in Pennington.
Guest speaker Jan de Waal explained how he trained puppies for the Guide Dog Association.
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He said retrievers or Labradors are used most often as they are patient dogs.
At the age of seven weeks, the puppies are given to ‘walkers’ to be taught obedience, and to get used to people and traffic. The dogs are sterilised at nine months.
Between the ages of 16 and 22 month, they are taught a variety of different skills, depending on what role they will ultimately fulfill.
Some dogs will be used to fetch and carry and open doors while others will be used as companions for autistic people.
The client goes to the association and lives in with the dog for a month,to bond before they got out to public places.
The relationship is a life-long one, with support offered by the association at every stage.
Mr de Waal is thanked for his very interesting talk and for showing us some very well-behaved dogs.
Club chairman Caroline van Hilten gave some handy garden hints for the next month.
These included clearing out old summer plants and getting ready for the new ones such as alyssum, cosmos, marigolds and sunflowers to name just a few.
If you are planting seeds in trays you must use a reliable brand of potting soil and make sure to keep the trays moist.
Cover with glass or clear plastic if you like but she cautioned against placing them in direct sunlight.
“Remember to take the protection off when they germinate, and guard against snails by snail bait and crushed eggshells.”
She added that 2:3:2 was a good general fertiliser for lawns and flower beds but it must be watered in and very well mulched.
The winners of last month’s competitions were: The Rose Bowl – 1st Chris Makepeace. Three annuals, same kind and colour – 1st Rona Jones and Des Cuff; 2nd Emerie Brown. One stem indigenous flower -1st, Rina Mason, Steph Howell and Elmerie Brown; 2nd Rona Jones and Chris Makepeace; 3rd Des Cuff.
Best fruit – 1st, Elmerie Brown; 2nd,Wendy van der Hever and Cheryl Wortman. Best veg – 1st Des Cuff and Liz Thompson; 2nd Steph Howell and Wendy van der Hever; 3rd Elmerie Brown. Best herb – 1st Elmerie Brown; 2nd Steph Howell and Rona Jones.
The competitions for October are frangipani or best bloom, and one stem indigenous foliage. The herbs are chilies or basil.
The October meeting is on Thursday the 17th and the address is Natalia Crescent. Just follow the signs and bring along your chairs and hats.
Look forward to seeing you all there.
SHIRLEY BRITTAIN
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