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Growing Catnip from Seed

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  • Cats Love Catnip!

Catnip, like Rosemary- and many other herbaceous plants- is a member of the mint family and has some special effects on cat’s brains.

This article from Scientific American.com discusses the chemical composition of the plant, and its well known properties.

I grew the catnip plant above from seed, and it came back for the last several years. This year it was scraggly & had some strange aphids, but I managed to harvest & dry some for the kitties.

I let this last sad, spindly stalk go to bloom, hoping it would make seeds for next year. I collected a dried seed stalk, and now there is a brown stub of a plant left, with  a single green leaf left.

  • Aphids Love Catnip!?

You can see in the picture above some tiny aphid? creatures-not sure what they are. If anyone knows please respond to this post, I am curious what type of creature they are. They have furry butts & appear to be bizarre weirdos. They are on the stem below the blooms. The top of the plant is bent over sideways.

  • People Love Catnip!

Catnip is useful to humans- similar to other herbs, and is used in tea. This links to an article by a MNN writer which details, (in step number 5), the properties and chemicals involved in the human/catnip process.

Side Note on growing from seed- the following quote from botanical.com may argue against growing this plant from seed:

There is an old saying about this plant:

If you set it, the cats will eat it,
If you sow it, the cats don’t know it.

Hmm…I love old wives’ tales and folklore. There is often some scientific proof that the folk remedy or medicinal use is correct. Please respond anyone who has input on this topic. I would love to hear any reader’s thoughts on this.

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Daffodils of Spring Past

Okay, so these daffodils bloomed in mid March. I took pics, but didn’t get a chance to post them until now. A lot has happened since then, most notably kidney stones! Which, btw are really terrible. Stay hydrated out there this summer!

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I was sidelined for a bit, but am now back focused on my writing and gardening. Again, better late than never, so the next few posts will be catching up what has happened in my yard and garden the last couple months. There are several different varieties of daffodil represented here. There are so many different types, and I love them all.

I will also be posting the rest of my writing pieces here over the next few days, and completing my Folk Literacy portfolio. Check out my writing in my Environmental Writing portfolio on the header. It contains an interesting mix of a few of my pieces that are all related to nature or the environment, but differ in genre of writing.

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Journal 5 Environ. Lit.

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This Crabapple in the front yard is a fantastic tree.The gorgeous hot pink blooms only last for a few days. They have faded now. Their life was short and glorious. For those few days this tree is a maelstrom of bee and flying insect activity. Even I can smell the delightful sweet perfume of the blossoms that lures the pollinators in. The bugs swirl and zip around above my head and and I can hear their wings buzzing. This tree is humming. The flowers have done their work. The insects have visited, fulfilling their part in the cycle of making new crabapple trees. I tried to capture a picture of a single bee, wasp, or bug, but they move so quickly I wasn’t able to. I will just have to remember and wait for next years frenzy. Spring is happening all around now, making me reflect on the changing of seasons that the authors we’ve discussed in class experienced. I am wondering what Annie Dillard’s Virginia mountains are sprouting this time of year. I’ve been thinking about the migration of birds, as more have arrived in the neighborhood, making me think of Aldo Leopold’s geese. And because I’ve been thinking of trees, I am reminded of Janisse Ray’s writing, I wonder what the pine forests and the wiregrass meadows are growing this spring in some small South Georgia sanctuary of nature. I feel more connected to nature this spring and can’t wait to see what blooms tomorrow.

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Nature Observation I for Environ. Lit. Class

Back at UGA for Spring semester, although it is still very much winter now. Walking from downtown Athens, through gorgeous North campus, there is so much nature to be thankful for along the way. The huge, old trees towering over the manicured grass and planting beds. A pair of landscapers are planting pansies in a container next to the path. Even though the wind chill is blasting and there are many people about, I find a moment with nature here. I breathe a sigh and think of the time that has passed since these trees were young and all they have seen.

I regret that I didn’t discover The Founder’s Garden when I was first at UGA fifteen years ago. It is a lovely gem of semi-solitude sandwiched between the sighing bamboo along the path behind Park Hall, and the Founder’s House. I found a sweet spot on a bench facing the brick house and looking over the nearly bonsai size boxwood hedges. The short hedges are cut into a simple labyrinth pattern and I couldn’t help walking around the paths and gazing at the sundial. I sat for awhile in quiet and relative solitude until a few people walked the labyrinth while talking on their phones.

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Both of these observations are natural, but not “in the woods”, so I decided to finally finish raking my backyard. I have lots of huge old oaks and hickories and stubbornly refuse to get a powered leaf blower and instead rake by hand to enjoy the woods around me. I was enjoying the sound of the crunchy leaves, watching the squirrels, and letting being outside, alone, release my mind from all the stress that can accumulate. That’s the best part of being in nature for me, its ability to clear the clutter of the day-to-day and allow me to relax and focus on the present. Then, the not so distant as I thought neighbor started his chainsaw, and I was brought back from that peaceful feeling of being a kid walking through my backyard mountains in North Carolina. I will take nature where I can find it and hope to visit a place further from civilization soon to better enjoy the natural beauty we are blessed with.

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Thoughts of Fall

I went back to college last August, and my posting fell by the wayside. I did still take a lot of pictures, and grew some great veggies in my garden bed. I was looking back at the pics and thought this one was worth sharing. It reminds me of the lovely fall we had and helps anticipate the spring.

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This gorgeous Japanese Maple was a gift from my father-in-law in 2012. It was the first tree my husband and I planted, and I was so happy to see it thriving this past fall. The striking red is like nothing else in the landscape, and therefore a treasure.

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Raised Garden Bed!

Finally, I have a simple, organic garden bed for veggies and herbs. I am late planting and posting mostly due to enormous amounts of rain. It was to originally be 3 ft. x 8 ft., but I easily modified it to 3 ft. x 4.5 ft. Next year, I will go full size. I started with untreated lumber and simple wood stakes. I filled 1/3 with my native clay soil and some leaf mulch.

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I added 1/3 Organic mulch as conditioner and 1/3 Mushroom compost to complete the mix.

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Lots of shovel turning and sore arms later and I get well-drained, dark, rich soil for edible plants.

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This bed contains: Rosemary, Peppermint, Lavender, Sweet & Lemon-Lime Basil, Catnip, Thyme, Oregano, Dill, Cucumbers, Peppers, & Tomato– Early Girl, Yellow Pear, and Roma varieties. I grew most of the plants from seed, but picked up a few plants like Dill and Cucumber when mine died from too much rain.  I hope this small garden will produce enough to make a few jars of homemade canned goods. I planted the bed about a month ago and everything is filling in nicely. Will post updated pics soon.

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Fragrant Freesia

Another thoughtful gift from my sister-in-law, M., these orange Freesia blooms are bright & lovely.

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I was hoping to have more blooms this year, but I think the bulbs need more sun or nutrients, or both. I received new bulbs last Christmas and will plant those this fall in the backyard bulb bed along with the Daffodil bulbs I recently dug from the crowded clump under the Hickory tree in the front yard.

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Woodland Sunflower 2013

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This patch of Woodland Sunflowers is bright & pretty at the base of the grand Oak tree that towers over the back deck. The pop of yellow “sunshine” has really brightened the dreary, rain soaked days around here. I think we’ve had rain every day for nearly two months. I did manage to capture these in a sunbeam but, I guess the “appearance of the sun” will have to do for now.

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Gardenia

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The queen of all southern flowers, in my opinion, is the Gardenia. This gorgeous blossom is from the largest of my Gardenia shrubs. I have pruned it every spring for 5 years, but at over 8 ft. tall, it’s due for a major cutting next year. Being planted close to house on the front corner allows the flower’s lovely perfume to drift into the open windows on early summer evenings.

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The crisp white flowers are so beautiful. When cut and brought inside, their heavenly fragrance fills the air for days before fading. This evergreen shrub only flowers for a few weeks each year, some varieties longer and more than once, but it’s well worth the wait to enjoy this amazing plant.

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Lavender

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This English Lavender ‘Lady’ was started from seed about 5 years ago. It needs replanting in a larger container soon to encourage more flowers next year.

Lavender is a herbaceous perennial and mint family member. Inhaling the lovely fragrance has been proven to relax, calm, and soothe. Both the tiny purple blooms and fragrant leaves dry nicely.