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Many people ask which potted plants that flower during the cold months of July and August will carry on blooming during the warmer weather that follows.

Although we are on the equator, Kenya follows the southern hemisphere seasons and winter (or as close to it as we get) is in June. What should you do to prepare your garden for the winter months?

Fisherman’s Cottage is situated on Diani Beach between Nomads Beach and Safari Beach Hotels, 70 metres from the beach (next to White House). The house has a makuti roof, which ...

You’ve made the decision to buy a dog.  But should it be a pedigree or mixed breed?  Lest anyone think I am taking sides here, I have to say first that I firmly have one foot in each camp.

The heat in Mombasa is almost suffocating with incredible humidity so you almost have to swim through the air just to get to the cool relief of your air-conditioned car (if it’s working!). 

Oh yes – it is time for that most crazy of holidays – Christmas!  To all on the coast, my traditional yuletide warning – and it’s not ‘don’t overindulge’, it’s not even ‘a Turkey is not for life, it’s for Christmas'.

Kingfisher Villa is ideal for families, a group of friends or fishermen. Set in six acres of tranquil; tropical gardens overlooking a swimming pool. Kingfisher Villa is let on an ...

A small greenhouse or shadehouse in the garden is very useful, especially if you want to grow plants that need extra protection from the sun, wind and/or rain or you need to increase daily temperatures and humidity. If you live in the cooler climates above 2,000 metres in Kenya, there is even more need for a greenhouse.

Yes, it’s the end of the school year and the weeks are stretching before us– no more delivering the little darlings to the school gates to be entertained and occupied by their teachers (you can try but they are likely to send you packing!). 

The average dog is as smart as a 2 to 2 ½ year old child, a psychology researcher says. In fact, the smartest dogs can count up to four or five.Stanley Coren, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of British Colombia used several behavioral measures to determine that the average dog is able to understand about 165 words, gestures, signs and signals- and the highly intelligent dog, as many as 250. These smart pups also catch simple addition errors, such as 1+1= 1. Coren says dogs possess three types of intelligence: instinctive, what they were bred to do; adaptive, how well they learn from their environments; and working and obedience, which he likens to going to school.Which breeds are the braniacs overall? Border Collies topped the list, followed by Poodles, German Shepards, Golden Retrievers, Doberman Pinchers, Shetland Sheepdogs and Labrador Retrievers. The research roundup was prepared for the American Psychological Association’s 2009 convention.I have often times thought to count up all the words, cues and signals that my Lab knows. I have never counted but had always guessed it must be close to two hundred. Since I train dogs, I am amazed at the things they can learn with the right motivation and reinforcement. I also am fascinated by the different types of intelligence. If you are a regular reader, you may have read about my two dogs. I have a Labrador Retriever and a Kenyan Shepard (sounds nicer than a mutt but he looks just like the village dogs) The Lab is very easy to train with food, she can learn complicated behaviors because she is motivated by food and apparently has the working or obedience type of intelligence. She does not figure out things on her own though if no reward. The mutt, will be two years old next month. I would say he has adaptive intelligence. (Makes sense, as he most likely came from a long line of semi feral dogs from Karura Forest); he can watch you open the door to the bedroom, then go and open the pantry door to help himself to the dog biscuits!! He also figured out how to work the tap on the water cooler in just a few days time. Dogs can be SO clever!Woof!Amy L. Rapp, Custom Made K-9 SupplyCustomMadeK9@aol.com

Have you ever looked at the plants in your garden and wondered whether they originated in Kenya?

Fuchsias, with their pendulous hanging flowers in various shades of pink, red, white and purple, are forever popular. 

These days all I seem to be drawn to are patterns and prints, but for some reason I couldn't help but reach out for this casual top.

Although the thought may fill you with dread, occasionally, every dog will need a bath. Here are some tips for making your dog clean and fresh.Brush First.A good brushing, plus combing for long coats, removes tangles to keep them from tightening when they get wet. Brushing also helps to loosen shed hair and dirt so they are more easily washed away. It also stimulates the natural oils in your dog’s coat, helping to prevent irritation to sensitive skin.Get Ready.Have everything you need within easy reach before getting your dog wet: shampoo (only use shampoo made for dogs, do not use human shampoo) coat conditioner for long coated dogs, a rubber shampoo brush for thick coats, a big towel for drying in cooler weather and if possible a helper. It’s also easier to use a nylon collar & leash to help control your dog as you bathe her.Wet your dog down.Whether you choose to wash your dog in the dobie sink, bathtub or outdoors you need plenty of warm water. If using a hose, always check the water temperature before spraying the water on your dog. Get your dog thoroughly wet before adding shampoo. Dog fur repels water naturally so you need plenty of it to get the shampoo all the way down to the dog’s skin! Suds it up, rinse it out.Apply shampoo and massage it in, avoiding the dogs eyes and ears. Don’t forget the dogs belly, feet and rear end. For thick coats the rubber shampoo brush can be great for working suds down to the skin. Sprayer attachments are terrific for rinsing suds away from long or thick coats. You can use an old hand held shower hose sprayer attached to the outside dobie tap. When you think your dog is clean and rinsed out completely, rinse one more time. Dogs frequently experience itchy, flaky skin from shampoo residue left behind. Dry off.When your dog is clean, wrap her in a big towel and blot her coat thoroughly. Then stand back and prepare for a mighty shake. Even in warm weather, your dog may want to rub itself dry in the grass or a patch of dirt. Keep your dog tethered or confined until dry if you don't want your clean dog to be dirty again! If you use a spot on treatment for ticks and fleas such as Frontline or Advantix, please read package directions for the amount of time required between application and bathing for maximum effectiveness.Amy L. Rapp, Custom Made K-9 SupplyCustomMadeK9@aol.com

Drive is the name given to internal impulses and urges that motivate dogs to take certain actions. In this article I focus on only drives for companion dogs since drives for working canines such as Police and Security dogs are more complicated. A companion dog’s drives can be classified as play, prey or food. If you understand what most motivates your dog, you can use the information to train new behaviors easier and faster. I will start with the food drive as it’s the easiest to figure out. If you have a hoggy dog that loves to eat, then its key drive would likely be food. My Labrador would be the perfect example of this. She knows countless commands from strict obedience and agility to complicated party tricks. She knows many words and commands in several languages because she is SO motivated for a tidbit. However, she is not really clever when it comes to figuring out new things without her food drive being rewarded. For example, my teenage shenzi (mutt) has learned many behaviors only by watching, that the Lab has not figured out in 10 years. He learned to drink out of the water cooler tap in his first 11 days at my house, as a 10 week old stray! (Yuck! We quickly kept the taps under wrap ever since.) He also learned to open door handles just by watching and with no reward except going through the previously closed door. He is actually the more clever dog, the Lab is just motivated by food, so she is willing to learn if she earns!The dog’s play drive is usually activated by time spent playing with their people and toys of some sort. A ball or a tug toy can be the motivator for learning new behaviors. The U.S. Customs Service train most of their sniffer dogs so that when they find drugs or currency, they earn a quick game of tug with a rolled up towel, a Kong toy or ball on a rope. Many dogs that participate in sport obedience and the Shepards (German Shepard, Malinois, Dutch) that many police forces use are dogs with a high play or specifically a high ball drive. The last drive is the Prey drive. Prey drive is part of a dog’s food acquisition behavior. Fast, erratic movements, squeaky noise or high excited voices are the stimuli that trigger prey drive. The prey drive actions include a chance to chase, pounce upon, bring down, shake, carry and kill. I can see you shaking your head about the killing part. Most dogs are so domesticated these days that “killing” usually comes in the form of unstuffing their toys or shredding a paper towel tube. They may consider carrying your slippers as “prey” in a many centuries past sort of way.Amy L. Rapp, Custom Made K-9 SupplyCustomMadeK9@aol.com

Brachycephalic Dogs are those with a broad skull and a short muzzle, resulting in a flat face; French Bulldog, Pugs, Pekinese, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Affinpincher, Japanese Spaniel, Shih Tzu, Boston Terrier, Brussels Griffon. Most are toy breeds but even the bigger Boxers and English Bulldogs fall under this category.

There are no breed standards for the Kenyan Shepherd, AKA Shenzi dog: they are known by many different tongue-in-cheek names; Pumwani Pointer, Pavement Specials and even the more creative Greater African Bush Dog.

The first Science, Technology and Innovation week, held at the KICC, brought together innovative youth from all parts of Kenya, inspiring officials to consider forming a ministry that would give many young Kenyans a chance to embrace science as a way of life.

It is that time of year again when, after three months of really good rain, the season suddenly changes from wet weather to cloudless skies and 10 hours of sun every day.

(The entrance of the Bamburi based Haller Park north of Mombasa) Mombasas Haller Park has since its inception in the late 1970s, when the Bamburi Cement quarries looked like moonscapes along the Mombasa Bamburi road, extensive spaces bare of any vegetation at all, been transformed into a mini garden of Eden and a habitat for some 240 species of birds, over a dozen large mammals, reptiles and even an active Tilapia fish farm, which helps to financially sustain the growing operation of the park while catfish, lungfish and tilapia are also found in the extensive interconnected pond system which traverses the park.