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Gardening in and of itself is an art form. And the art of fine gardening is just that, an art. Fine gardening may mean many things to many people, but to me fine gardening means more than just a garden. It encompasses all that’s good and graceful in gardening and combines them to make one garden that is the epitome of all your dreams.

My love of gardening does just come from the finished product, but from the hours of love that I spend planning and designing it - from the moment an idea comes to me to the pleasure of seeing it come to fruition. Anyone who steps into view of my garden should gain an appreciation for the art in it, not just the size or shape of the plants. It should be a place that is peaceful and calm, where people can enjoy spending their time.

A water feature - something that produces a soothing sound continuously - is a must for me. A nice lotus or water lily for some color, and maybe even a few fish. Some ferns and leafy plants around the pond, and this oasis is complete.

Under ideal circumstances a big tree sits in the corner of the garden, with a nice dark brown trunk just a little to big to get my arms all the way around. The green leaves and branches spill down to the ground with a satisfyingly controlled chaos. But a few saplings may have to do, with the knowledge they will one day be the trees I want.

Since green is my target for the moment, I’d also see about laying a lovely shady lawn that you can sink your bare feet into when taking a turn about your garden.

Lots of varieties of plants, and as many colors, are my favorite so I’d add a meandering pathway through the garden to enjoy them all.

As a finishing touch, there’s a small alcove, hidden from view until you’re in the garden, with a nice view of the entire garden, some shade and a nice hammock or chair to sit and enjoy the results of my work.

In the distance, several large rocks will break up the greenery, surrounded by a few flowers for color.

In the midst of all this natural splendor I’ll walk through the garden, feeling the satisfaction and peace that comes from a job well done.

Children at weddings always create the most idyllic and blissful scenes. In the movies, anyway. These cute and lovable beings are, by nature, cheery and innocent. One would think that their very presence at a wedding would be the perfect touch. In the real world, however, kids at weddings can bring comical or even disastrous results.

Most kids are fun seekers, and will have no qualms about amusing themselves when things get dull. They can also have a hard time calming down and appreciating the importance of the day, the way adults do. When it comes right down to it, weddings can be very boring for children.

Usually, a bored kids means trouble for adults. Instead of sitting quietly, they’ll giggle, fidget and make noise. They’ll wander around, play with their food, squabble with other kids and even break things. These antics may seem funny to the children but can be nightmarish to adults. Especially the bride and groom.

Should You Invite the Children?

Let’s face the facts. To most brides and grooms, having kids at their weddings is not a great idea.

Just thinking about an unruly child messing up her gown, toppling the cake or upsetting the wedding party sets any bride-to-be in panic mode. It’s too bad that so many parents are insensitive to these concerns. Some moms and dads just can’t appreciate or comprehend how a bride or groom may not want to have their cute and loveable kids at the wedding.

Wedding etiquette books and guides have it that the best way to exclude children to the occasion is to address it in the invitations. According to these books, brides and grooms who dislike kids in their weddings can do two things: one, do not include children’s names on the invites; and two, spread the word that children are not wanted at the wedding.

The second option can be brutal, but it is nicer than having to control children’s tantrums and misbehavior during weddings.

Because not all people understand and know wedding etiquette, it is sensible that at some occasions, the couple should be straightforward and inform the guests beforehand that the wedding would involve an ‘adult reception.’

Frankly telling guests with children that kids will not be welcome in the wedding can also be a practical option. For some, the gesture would not be very polite, but practicality would tell otherwise. Every bride and groom wants formality for their much-awaited moments. Recognize that.

Another method to exclude children in wedding invitations is to mention the number of seats reserved for a particular guest. For example, Mr. and Mrs. Mercer are reserved only two seats at the reception. That means that Mr. and Mrs. Mercer’s five children do not have places in the wedding. They should understand that.

If your guests are still clueless and insist on bringing along their children with them, contact them before the wedding and explain why their children may not attend the wedding. They may need a little wedding etiquette education.

Wedding etiquette for the parents

If you receive a wedding invitation that does not clearly state that kids are excluded, and if the couple does not call to emphasize the point, then you may assume that you can bring the children. As a courtesy, check with the couple to make sure it’s OK to bring the kids along.

However, be informed and remember the simple wedding etiquette for parents. You would not want to spoil the wedding just because your child suddenly acted out or threw a tantrum.

Empathize with the position of the bride and the groom. Think of how you would feel if you were in their shoes, and children created scenes at your wedding. It would not be sweet and cute, right?

Take the initiative and leave your children at home, if you can help it, when you attend the wedding. They could play around the house or watch the television or do their homework. They would likely get bored throughout the wedding ceremony and might ruin everything.

If you must bring the children, put your own wedding etiquette to good use and make the most of the occasion. Use it to teach your kids manners and proper behavior at formal events. Turn this occasion into a learning opportunity, and explain that you expect your children to behave like the adult guests.

This is a great teaching occasion to show the kids how to act during weddings, and educate them about some table and social manners.

Wedding etiquette also tells us to learn from each occasion. It teaches couples how to be good and patient hosts. It teaches parents to take responsibility for their children and to teach the kids valuable social skills.

Dachshund is a popular breed in Germany, France, United States and many other countries. Around the 17th century, a group of hunters in Germany had difficulty in dealing with badgers, the nasty creatures of around twenty to forty pounds having its den underground. What these foresters want was a courageous and intelligent dog capable of fighting badgers to death. They came up with the idea of breeding a dog with short legs and long body strong enough to work even underground. That’s the start of Dachshund history.

Actually, Dachshund came from the German word Dach meaning badger and Hund meaning dog. So literally, Dachshund means “badger dog”. Dachshunds are also called wiener dog, hot dog or sausage dog because of their long, narrow build. In Germany, they are also known as the Dackel or Teckel.

Modern Dachshund popular today has German, French and English hounds and terriers as ancestors. Formal breeding of Dachshund was started in 17th century. It is said that smooth-coat Teckel was developed out of a Pinscher and French Braque, a small pointer type. In the late 18th century French Revolution, French aristocrats seek out refuge in Germany. They took along with them their beloved pets and of those pets was French Basset. German Teckel and French Basset was crossed, the offspring called Dachsbracke if they have long legs and Dachshunds if they have short legs, short ears and pointed muzzle.

Dachshund was first introduced in the United States between the year 1879 and 1885. Basically, Dachshunds are classified into two varieties; the smooth-coated and longhaired varieties. Recently, another variety was added to Dachshund, the wirehaired Dachshund. Dachshund also comes into two sizes; the Miniature which is less than eleven pounds and the Standard that weighs about eighteen to twenty pounds. In Germany however, another size was added, the Kaninchenteckel. Kaninchenteckel is determined through chest measurement taken at the age of fifteen months.

In World War I, Dachshund was almost faced out in the face of the planet because of their German origin. During those times, anything that has something to do with the German was disliked. Because of the people’s hatred, they were oftentimes stoned decreasing their number significantly. But because of their exceptional skills and charm, the breed increase in number gaining back their popularity.

Dachshund makes popular pets as well despite the fact that they were originally developed to hunt badgers. The breed was ranked 6th as most popular pet in the United States based in the most recent AKC registration. The standard smooth=haired is the most popular type.

In addition to good household pets, they are also excellent hunters of fox and rabbit. They are also used to track wounded deer and those in packs can hunt boar.