There's a new hike the dogs and I have been making weekly. It's a two-hour, 5-mile round-trip from our house that runs along the trout trail (a forest hike by the river "Sentir des Truites"). It includes a feast of various adventures, such as private farms and foot-traffic-only roads, underground tunnels, the ex-Nudist beach on Lake Léman, a non-active shooting range, a dog agility club and a Secret Garden. The variety makes it Juno's favorite new hike and I enjoy obliging her. Afterall, it's a very safe area to allow the dogs run free for 90% of the hike.
The secret garden suddenly pops up half way through the hike along side an orchard and contains a mélange of vegetables, flowers and trees. We must have passed and stopped at this garden 4 times before Loki finally noticed someone strange-looking inside.
Only the weirdest looking gardener this side of Lake Léman. It seems he's doing the Peanuts Snoopy Dance.
As expected, the cracker keeps an eye on the suspicious looking fella while I try to snap a shot of the charming, but quarky garden.
The gardener must have a soft spot for gnomes because I counted at least 12 of them. And then I stopped counting. Yah. He must really like gnomes.
The garden is packed with flowers as well as a variety of vegetables. Above is a Devil's Riot Iris. It's the first time I'd ever seen one.
Who knew hedgehogs were so concerned with their weight?
WHOOOO has such a quarky sense of humor? Ok, bad pun. But this taxidermy critter sure makes things interesting. I could spend hours in the garden taking shots of all its whimsical characters.
Kitty-corner to the garden, is a bee farm. "Don't worry," said my friend Sylvie, who showed me this new hike, "they're nice bees." Nice Bees? That's her Canadian French for "they won't sting." Oh sure. That, and the rickety fence makes me feel so much more at ease as I pass the bees swarming around their hives.
Speaking of kitties...
I did say it was safe for Juno to be unleashed on the walk. I never claimed it was safe for kittehs.
NB: Wild Dingo does not condone the husky's kitteh-chasing hobby and works hard to prevent such incidents. Sometimes, kittehs surprise us and turn up in unusual places. Good thing there are trees around!
You identified a flower, what!? Devil's Riot Iris. I like this secret garden and ability to create a place that draws you in to investigate....even if Loki is skeptical.
What a magical place you found! Your time there sure has been spectacular. Life in the U.S. seems very blah compared to what you have there:)
Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning
That is an awesome garden. So many cool things in it. We could use that scarecrow around here.
Mango Momma
I love the picture of Loki keeping an eye on that weird guy!
wooo what a fabulous place for walkies, so much happening. I think Kyra would react the same was the cracker to the dude in the veggie garden BOL High paws Juno on the treeing the kitty probably taught it a lesson, listen out for Junos at all times. Happy trekking gang 🙂
That's just magical, to have a lovely garden out in the middle of what passes for nowhere in CH and no one has vandalized it or filched anything. There is something to be said for living with a law abiding people. And is that a palm tree growing in deepest CH?
Abby shares Juno's strong prey drive. Surprisingly - to mama, anyway - it was Jed who trotted into the kitchen last week with the headless corpse of a squirrel in his mouth. Definitely a treasured moment.
Jed & Abby