Back to old stomping grounds

I've been a little quiet on there these past two weeks because I did a little traveling the last weekend of September. My trip took me and Lars back to the home land of the Finger Lakes region for a dog show where we were showing in Rally Obedience. Of course I couldn't head out there without going back to where the whole Garden Consultant journey of mine started....

Lars hangin' with Ezra on Cornell's art quad.

Cornell's Plant Science building - the real birth place of The Garden Consultant and my second home from 1991 - 1995.

Outside of the Plant Science building is a display garden called the Minns Garden. It was originally planted by Lua Minns, the first professor of herbaceous plant material and it was named for her after she passed away. When I was there, we had a lot of labs for the ornamental horticulture ID classes in the Minns Gardens. I can't believe how much it has changed over the past 14 years. I discovered the Gardens actually have a blog that you can read and follow what's going on in the gardens - http://blogs.cornell.edu/minnsgarden/ I so bookmarked this one!

This arbor definitely is something new since the last time I was on campus in 2003. I think it is sooooooo cool! Below is the gate on the west side of the garden that opens up to the ag quad.

They have really gone more into the more funky annuals (like that fantastic banana tree in the photo above) and woody plants since I was here. Back in the nineties, it was only perennials, some annuals and a big bulb display in the spring of tulips and daffs. When I was hanging out in the gardens as a student, the selection of plants was still pretty limited when compared to what is available today. The gardens were pretty back when I was in school, but what they are today completely blows away the gardens I remember. I'll have to see if I can locate some of the photos I have of the gardens from the nineties and scan them for you all.

The boy wonder in the garden how I think he should enjoy them...



And this is Lars' idea of how he should enjoy the gardens...with a very vigorous back scratch in their grass. LOL

On to the show results from our weekend - Lars was a working machine both days. Saturday he showed very well for an outdoor show (it was our second one ever) and earned a 96 out of 100, a second place, and a new rally advanced title. Then Sunday, the weather was wicked...cold, windy and rainy. We had never worked in the rain before....ever. But, Lars rose to the occasion and earned a 100 and a first place in rally advanced for an extra qualifying score. He worked like a dream for me and I couldn't be more thrilled.


Lars strutting in the driving rain to the tune of a 100. I knew he was going to be a superstar in the making. This is just the beginning too... :)