Polly Woz Ere

Our garden used to be very green.  Actually, it was a bit overgrown and once a year we would do a big chop and trim everything.  This year though we've hardly had to do any work as Polly has been solely responsible for all trimming.  The thing is though, we did like having some greenery around and she has systematically gone round eating anything she has taken a fancy to.

This was a beautiful plant that only just made it throuh our hard winter of 2010.  Half of it just died with the cold weather but with a lot of TLC we brought it round.

We were so pleased when Polly decided to leave this one alone as she worked her way around the rest of the garden.  Obviously she saved the best til last.  She set to work early one morning and after a long hard session she managed to destroy it and then had a well deserved rest!

These two photos are taken at the back of our garden.  It was covered and I mean TOTALLY covered in ivy.  You couldn't see anything behind it.  One day The Kiwi suggested I gave it a bit of a trim "I'm sure we've got a sandstone wall behind there somewhere" he said.  I started on it and then Polly thought she'd help me.  It was much harder work for her than the one above but she dutifully did her best and within a few days this was what we were left with. 

I've known for some time that rhodedendrons are toxic to sheep so I trimmed it and hoped she couldn't reach it.  Then seeing her climb up on her hind legs to get at things I decided it was time to take it down.  I was worried that as I was chopping it Polly would be trying to eat it so I put her on her lead in the front garden.  She loves it out there and she's on a long rope so she can move around plenty.  I was literally minutes in the back chopping down the offending bush.  Then as I dragged it round to the front to put in our brown bin Polly came charging at me.  She'd bitten right through her lead, had wandered into next doors garden and then decided to come home again!

This is one very determined lady with a mind of her own.  She's strong too - gentle as ever when she wants to be but my goodness she's powerful.  I sure feel safe with her and Buffy around - Beware of the Menagerie!