The Cat Grass Kit

 'Feline Groovy' Sammy

 Over the weekend I planted out the very neat Mr Fothergill's Cat Grass Kit.
 It's 'neat' in the cool, well designed sense of the word, a perfect package for apartment dwellers or for those who keep their cats indoors like we all should. Interesting to see a 'Made in Canada' label on this product which made me think of all those snow bound cats in a Canadian winter dreaming of green grass.

So this kit consists of a packet of cat grass seeds, and a mini greenhouse with an expandable Jiffy pot of instant growing medium of the just add water variety. The pictures below explain how it works. The packet of seeds is generous so that consecutive sowings can be made over many months.

 You add 300ml of warm water to the Jiffy pot and wait a few minutes for it to absorb all the water. Then you poke a couple of holes in the base of the container and spread out the soil with a little knife. Now the instructions say to poke the holes in first but you may end up with a big puddle on your kitchen bench if you do.

 Seed planted

 Completed, this little greenhouse generates enough moisture so you don't really need to water the seed again but just keep an eye on it. This is not the end of the story and I will update the post as the seed grows and develops. This kit retails for $5.95 and would make a terrific present for cat lovers. It is available from the Mr Fothergill's website as per this link:

Seeds, Vegetable Seeds, Flower Seeds and Herb Seeds
 Update: This is the germinated seed after a couple of weeks. This can be given to your cat as is or potted into larger pots so it has a chance to grow bigger. Impress your friends by giving them the botanical name for it: Dactylis glomerata

Bluey

Bluey is a frequent visitor to the garden. He treats the place as a fast-food drive thru. Arriving at around 9.30 he makes his presence felt by curling himself around my legs while I am standing at the potting bench. After putting on a good performance as a starving waif, despite his sleek coat and bright eyes, I give him a snack. This immediately acts a signal for the resident cats to arrive to check out what is on offer. Sammy, the grey tabby is the boss so Bluey steps back and lets him have a few mouthfuls first. Boxing gloves come on and there is a brief exchange of heated words between the three before they settle down and take turns at sampling the feast. Showtime is over and its time to relax for the rest of the day.

United we stand

Catnip, Nepeta cataria

Nepeta cataria
  Catnip

Before tea arrived in Europe from India and China, the brew of choice was made from this plant. Today it is mainly grown by cat lovers who like to give their pets the opportunity to enjoy a wide a diet as possible while providing some additional stimulation from the chemicals contained in the plant leaves.There is nothing like a contented pet in the household. Though this short lived perennial is not a particularly attractive plant it does bring many beneficial insects to the garden warranting its inclusion on the fringes of say a vegetable garden. Butterflies and bumble bees love the flowers during the heady days of high summer. I like the big blue striped bumble bees which make such a lot of noise as they forage around amongst the flowers...sadly not a common sight these days.The plant does produce a large quantity of seed which will come up in all sorts of unexpected places but these are fairly easily removed. Leaves can be dried if you like to make those muslin filled bags for cats who like to play football as one of their leisure activities.

Sammy, who likes schmoozing and listening to old records by Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks
2017 update: RIP Sammy

Die Echte Katzenminze
Deutschlands Flora in AbbildugenJacob Sturm, 1796

twenty-ten Alice

A new film version of the classic Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway is set for cinema release in March, so I guess it is time to fess up that I own a small garden statue based on one of the characters namely "The Duchess". With a face reminiscent of Queen Victoria, the Duchess holds a sneezing baby and at her feet is the large pepper pot belonging to her cook. Reading the text from this part of the story would make any parent contact the child protection services immediately but not so in 1865 when the book was first published.

"The Duchess" as she appeared in the original book

The illustrator was Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914) who sought inspiration at the Oxford University Botanic Garden and even included the Waterlily Glasshouses in the drawing below of 'The Queen's Croquet Ground'. It was colour printed in 1890 by Edward Evans

Sir John Tenniel self portrait in 1889

A couple of other drawings from the book are pictured below.

Caterpillar using a hookah

The grinning Cheshire cat which belonged to The Duchess

Cats in the garden

Tobsie

Sammy

 Cats are great company when you are working in a garden .They enjoy a ride in the wheelbarrow ,a game of attack on shoes, a ball or sticks, or they like having a rest in the exact spot where you want to do some weeding. In short, they are great fun to have around.

In Australia because of the feral animal population of cats, goats, rabbits, deer and foxes, they have a bit of an image problem .Cats can kill or injure native animals and birds so best to always have pet cats de-sexed, place a collar on them with a bell and keep them indoors at night.
2017 update: R.I.P. Sammy and Tobsie