A Schnauzer Gardener Guards a Basket Brimming With Pink Roses
A black-and-silver Miniature Schnauzer sits in a rose garden, a wicker basket overflowing with pink blooms resting at his feet. He wears a little pink beret with a flower tucked into the brim, a rose-colored coat with golden embroidery and a green sash trimmed in lace. A pale blue sky stretches behind him, with gilded scrolls and climbing roses framing the scene, and his serious, bearded face seems to be judging which bloom is best for the palace vase.
Schnauzers were originally farm dogs used for guarding and ratting, which explains their energy and alertness. A garden suits them well, but any dog in a garden needs supervision, because many common plants and flowers can be harmful if chewed. Roses have thorns, and fertilizers and pest sprays can be dangerous, so keep them out of reach and check with your vet if you worry about anything your dog has eaten.
The artist's attention to the roses is the real treat. Each petal in the basket is a soft swirl of pink, with a touch of white where the light hits. The gardener's gray fur creates a wonderful contrast, like a charcoal drawing set among watercolors, and his posture, with those sturdy front paws on the ground, tells you he takes the work seriously.
With a gardener like this, the palace will always have fresh flowers, even if a few get inspected with a sniff first.
