Turns out the the month of May has more than one "run for the roses". The mad dash to the garden centers was made even more so with this disagreeable wet weather. I hate the frenetic feel of nursery shopping in Minnesota; with only a short shopping season corresponding with the growing season; there's not much time to alleviate all that pent-up plant desire.

The aisles are crowded with those awkward front-loader shopping carts that are always longer than they appear. No matter how careful, I'm ever so clumsy with them, banging into other carts and not clearing the corners, muttering sorry at every turn. Maybe it's because I've got them piled so high with plants I can't see where I'm going.

Now I've noticed something new to look out for while navigating the nurseries. People are taking their dogs plant shopping with them. And I'm not sure just how I feel about that.

I love dogs. I love having my dog in the garden while I putter around outside. But I don't think I'd take him to the nursery. He's a bit big and well, what's the word, social. I can't see him being much help while I mull over my plant choices, even less as I load up the back of my car.

My Henry-dog loves to hang out in the garden, but does he belong at the garden center?

For the most part the dogs I've seen tagging along have been well-behaved; a lot of them older, smaller varieties. Still there was one the other day that found something not to his liking back there between the bacopa and the coleus six-packs. He/she started yapping in a non-stop high pitched bark that echoed through the greenhouse and rattled everyone's nerves.

For now, it's been one or two dogs at nurseries when I've visited, but what if this trend grows so to speak? On one hand it's kind of charming, of course it could get interesting at the garden centers with resident greenhouse cats. Otherwise I can think of some negatives, like finding dog hair in your herbs or a little canine mayhem among the geraniums.

Last year I was excited to see more kids than ever accompanying their parents to the garden center. How about dogs, what do you think?