NAME OF YOUR GARDEN ASSISTANT

Triplet eyed lizards and a large dragonfly. Obviously not domestic pets, but they certainly earn the title of "assistant." We were first aware of a "something" living under my tomato seedling tray and feared for a while it was a mouse, but it turned out to be a lovely 6" long green spotted lizard who gobbled up any insects bent on tomato seedling destruction. We affectionately called him "George." We later found there were three of him rambling around the garden and living in cracks in the wall, one of whom has been hand fed squashed snails! Not by me I hasten to add!

My other "assistant" is the helicopter-sized green dragonfly that follows me around the garden while I'm watering with a hosepipe, snapping up insects that fly to escape the wet.

Luuuuurve your dog!

Well, you've met Henry, our lovely Labrador Retriever. He trots round after me and drops his ball (or fallen apples at the moment) by me hopefully, for me to throw and him to retrieve - over and over again! Every morning after he has had his breakfast, he goes outside and 'walks the plot' - everywhere around the whole garden - presumably to make sure that all is well! He is good at chasing out cats and wood pigeons, but also blackbirds - I don't know why he doesn't like them though. Shame he only sniffs at snails, it would be great if he would pick them up and drop them in the stream for me!

My helpers are all the wild ones too, lizards, dragonflies, blackbirds, ladybirds, hoverflies etc, that is unless you count my hubby. He's certainly a helper too, does the big heavy jobs!!!

Chrispook ~ I should think birds would be wonderful garden assistants eating harmful insects.

Spritzhenry ~ I am jealous of Henry. I've spent many hours throwing a ball or toy and getting him to retrieve it.
He will go get it, stop about 5 ft. away from me and lay down with a look on his face that says.... "you want it, come and get it" Ha Ha What a brat!

Rusty the red Long-Hair Dachshund is very good looking.

What a glamorous garden assistant.

I have my Welsh Terrier,'Bonsai' seen pushing his wheelbarrow on my avatar here. He collects up plastic garden tools and wheels them around in his barrow at alarming speed.

One of my photos shows 'Conker', my Shetland Sheepdog, vacuuming the lawn.

I hire him out at reduced rates to GoY members, but it could be a bit pricey for him to work in the US.

The dollar rate could be a factor...and the $64,000 question:

Could he get a green card ?

Mine of course is Bella our black lab, she chases the rabbits and chipmunks and moles etc. not spry enough to catch any at her age, but she does make the effort.
There is Morty the mockingbird, who comes by for insects and soldier fly larva handouts ( they get into my worm bins) and then there is the family of Blue-tailed Skinks who lives under and around my patio boxes.
Sometimes I think they are just there for the sunshine! : )

ive got a little 42 year old red haired wife who follows me round the garden making sure i get all the weeds out but she never retrieves balls that i throw she just tells me to go get them myself :-)

Lyd ~
I could offer to teach your red-head alongside my Sheltie, but it sounds like yours has gone too far down the path of disobedience.

Far too naughty and unruly for the usual training.

It seems she just isn't a Retriever, but has a good personality and is very alert to the weed situation. Rather a rare breed by the sound of it. Better keep her, I reckon.

lol bonkers, well shes house trained too so i think i will keep her :-)

Lyd ~
Are you calling me bonkers?
I realise I share the same medication as BB, but I'm TT not BB..

Come to think of it, Bonkers got the blame for a lot of stuff yesterday, so why stop now.

sorry tt but i was still laughing at 1 of bbs comments when i wrote this, lol sorry tt :-)

I have one faithful old assistant, that's him in my avatar. He is convinced that it is time to play with his ball when the lawn mower starts up and loves to try to catch water in his mouth as it sprays from the hose.
We are often accompanied by Mr. & Mrs. Robin who keep an eye on all that goes on in the garden. Sometimes they cheer us with a chiruppy song.
Occasionally we have some help from the human part-time assistants who live with us, but they are rather choosy about what they will turn their hands to and usually require a fair bit of guidance for their tasks to be successfully completed. The more senior of these humans is the greatest help, especially when the job involves motorised tools. :-)

lol brilliant xela

Lyd ~ I love your comment on your garden asst. Does she read the blogs? If so you might want to sleep with one eye open. LOL

Xela ~ He sounds like a great assistant. It isn't easy to humor us humans. Rusty also loves to catch water from the hose.
Have you ever wondered why dogs just love to stick their heads out the car window and feel the wind, but freak out if you blow in their face? Sheesh!

lol harli no she doesnt read the blogs, just as well otherwise i would be in the dog house.

I have a little friend who I follow out to the garden. If I don't go when she wants she'll scratch all the furniture and jump around.
I follow her up the back lane every morning and she keeps looking around to see if I'm still there.
She's called Blodyn.

Hi, I must always have a cat for my gardening companion! It used to be the silver tabby in my profile picture, he died earlier this year and I now have Charlie to help me out, a very mischevious 9 month brown and white tabby main coon, beautiful! Probably more of a hindrance, but what the heck!

Hywel ~ You are being blackmailed by your cat. LOL
She's sounds lovely. Reminds me of the phrase..
Dogs have masters, Cats have staff. LOL

Andrea ~ What a beautiful silver cat. I'm so sorry you lost him, that must have been very hard. I'm glad you have Charlie to help you in the gardening.

Thanks Harli, it is very hard when you loose a pet, just like loosing a member of the family, but yes Charlie is proving to be a great sucessor!