Dogs in Spokane Gardens

But here is all the sweet of dreams,
  The grace of prayer, the boon of rest,
The spirit of old songs and loves
  Dwells in this garden blossom-blest.

Here would I linger for a space,
  And walk herein with memory;
The world will pass me as it may
  And hope will minister to me.

L.M. Montgomery

It is said that flowers have souls and dogs have souls. Beauty of face and beauty of spirit. Companions each in their own way. The smells and sights of which elicit strong memories.

Maybe that is why I love gardens and dogs so much. Time and the world pass away on the outside but gardens envelop us in peace and dogs soothe our emotional burdens.

So, it is totally natural that I have made flowers a standing tradition within the photography here at Touched By a Dog.

I have completed several sessions at Manito the past couple of months and even though the blooms continue to evolve through the growing season, we got a wonderful variety.

In early Spring, it is the blossoms from the trees that highlight, soften or embolden, and give color to the photos. In late Spring, hunting for crocuses, tulips, lilacs, or mock orange take prominence. As Summer takes over, the perennial gardens at Manito explode in color. I often arrive early for sessions so that I can wander about the flowers and write the names of ones that I might want to plant.

Of note, it is very important to keep dogs out of the garden beds and they must be on leash at all times. The gardeners work hard to maintain the beauty and we don’t want it destroyed.

In fact, I recently purchased a platform where I can keep dogs on paths but still effectively give the illusion that they are among the flowers. It has worked perfectly!

“Bunny”

Among the pink and purple Salvia.

“Posse”

In the midst of a purple flowering plum tree.

“Baby Mercy”

Among the lavender.

“Sachi”

Dazzling her way on a path between yellow yarrow.

I have come to enjoy photographing dogs in flowers so much that I am working on some ideas for special products.

Manito isn’t the only place to find gardens, either. While it is one of the rare gardens that you can enjoy with dogs, there are other sites to visit. The Japanese Garden, the Rosarium Garden Center, Edwidge Woldson Park, or you can enjoy the fabulous Spokane In Bloom tour. I have taken the tour and it was so much fun!

As an added bonus, if you ever travel West near Wenatchee, you MUST stop at Ohme Gardens. It is not open to dogs but well worth the visit. I believe I could have stayed in that dreamland for a week!

Sunflowers!

My friends, the Walshs, own Half Moon U-Pick Blooms and T.D. Walsh farms. They open up their sunflower fields every year to photographers who book time slots for sessions. If you want incredible photos of your dog among sunflowers, this opportunity is for you! I will take up to 3 clients for sunflower sessions (1 is already taken). I will need to know in the next couple of days as booking fills fast on the farm.

Sessions are $100 for 1 gorgeously edited digital image.