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You are here: Home / Diary / Garden Thursday – Hanging in There

Garden Thursday – Hanging in There

March 8, 2012 By: Sparkle Cat33 Comments

Can you imagine the great Bird TV I could get out here?

Here I am in the should-be-catio, seeing how my homegrown nip is doing!

My human should have fetched me a few sprigs while she was photographing it - but she FORGOT!

It is hanging in there. A little yellow on one end, but otherwise nice and green. It is spreading more than it is growing in height. I wonder if my human started pinching it back too soon. That would be typical of her. When it starts to bud in a few weeks, I wonder if she should remove the buds before they have a chance to flower, or let them grow. Does it make a difference in the nip’s potency?

Why do they even bother?

These are the sort of questions my human is clueless about. Her boyfriend is not any better. For some unknown reason, she gave him a couple of small plant seeds for Valentine’s Day. These pots have been sitting out there for a few weeks now and so far, nothing is happening. My human may have killed the strawberry seedlings-to-be when he was out of town and she forgot to water them for a couple of days. That pot was awfully dry when she finally remembered.

Maybe I should feel lucky that my human does better with cats than with plants!

It’s just my luck that both of the humans here have black thumbs.

There should be a nice, big cat tree here instead!

Before I go back inside, I am going to hang out in the dog house, just to make sure the dog knows I was here!

* * *

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Comments

  1. Mark's Mews (Ayla, Iza, and Marley) says

    March 9, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    That Nip plant looks really good, Sparkle. TBT says he doesnt know about Nip specifically, but most plants with strong smells have them to protect against insects eatin them. So iffen they get eaten some, they make more of the smelly stuff. He thinks that pickin the flowers and some of the leafs makes the plant think it is insects eatin it.

    Reply
  2. We love Luna says

    March 9, 2012 at 3:08 am

    wow that dog house is fabulous, I would love playing with you there!
    Luna

    Reply
  3. Oui Oui says

    March 8, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    What we don’t chew down to ground level, the mom manages to kill. And she has a BS in Botany!

    Reply
  4. Fraidy Cats says

    March 8, 2012 at 8:09 pm

    make sure you fur up the dog bed real good, Sparkle. Dogs like that. Trust us 🙂 Your nip plant is doing good! Supposedly you can get packages of nip buds – we don’t know if they are more potent than the leaves. Maybe you can try some of yours.

    Pip, Smidgen, Minnie, Hollie

    Reply
  5. Natalie says

    March 8, 2012 at 7:47 pm

    I think your nip plant looks great! Also, that dog house looks like the perfect size for a cat palace. I’m sure the dog wouldn’t mind if you took over…

    Reply
  6. BeadedTail says

    March 8, 2012 at 7:31 pm

    Your nip plant is looking pretty good Sparkle! We hope your human’s boyfriend’s strawberries survived their little drought.

    Reply
  7. The Island Cats says

    March 8, 2012 at 6:24 pm

    We think your nip is looking good, Sparkle. Our mom never cuts ours back when it starts budding…she let’s it flower and only cuts it back when it gets real leggy.

    Reply
  8. Emma and Buster says

    March 8, 2012 at 5:28 pm

    sparkle kitty, you sure are marking your territory including the dog house 🙂 we luff it.

    mama planted nip last summer in a pot. it had beautiful flowers. but it wasn’t as prolific as yours.

    enjoy the nip.

    Reply
  9. Daisy the Curly Cat says

    March 8, 2012 at 4:14 pm

    Sparkle, it almost looks like you are (going potty) in the dog house!

    Reply
    • Sparkle says

      March 8, 2012 at 4:31 pm

      I wasn’t – I don’t mark (although the cat before me used to do that outside!), but maybe I should have. 😉

      Reply
  10. Marilia says

    March 8, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    Hmmmm! Nip nip nip!

    Reply
  11. Eric and Flynn says

    March 8, 2012 at 2:50 pm

    Your nip looks good to us. Ours hasn’t even started to shoot yet.

    Reply
    • Sparkle says

      March 8, 2012 at 4:30 pm

      It’s warmer here in California, so we get an early start – plants slow down in the winter, but since it stays above freezing 99.9% of the time, few of them rarely go dormant.

      Reply
  12. Abby says

    March 8, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    Sparkle
    Mom killed our nip plant last year.
    She tried but it just didn’t work out.
    purrs
    >^,,^<
    ♥Abby♥Boo♥Ping♥Jinx♥Grace♥

    Reply
  13. Cathy Keisha says

    March 8, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    You get to go outside? You should ax @TinyPearlCat about nip. Her’s is the best & most potent I’ve had. I believe it’s best to leave it bushy, rather than high. TW lets my nip houseplant grow tall and then the bottom leaves all get crinkly, which is actually how I like them.

    Reply
    • Sparkle says

      March 8, 2012 at 4:29 pm

      The catio is actually an enclosed (indoor) patio, and that is about the closest I can get to the nip plant in the planters on the outside patio – until my human brings some in.

      Reply
  14. Toby & Leia says

    March 8, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    It should definitely be a catio! Stand your ground, Miss S.

    Reply
  15. Katie Bella says

    March 8, 2012 at 11:52 am

    I think my mom needs to get ME a fresh nip plant! All I have are the dried crushed leaves. Humph.

    Reply
  16. Little One says

    March 8, 2012 at 11:44 am

    Yes, your nip is hanging in there nicely. You’re lucky, you get fresh nip. I get this cheaply dried nip that comes in a bag. I loose interest after two minutes because it lost its umph. Beware of the gardener when he/she starts again, don’t want you to loose your nip plant again

    Reply
  17. Nerissa's Life says

    March 8, 2012 at 11:11 am

    Your plant looks great! My peep #1 promised me a nip garden this year and I just can’t wait. The thing with nip is… you mustn’t eat it so much it doesn’t get a chance to grow. At least, that’s what the peep says. But what does she know? She’s just a peep.

    Reply
  18. Brian says

    March 8, 2012 at 10:49 am

    I think your nip plant is doing good and what a nice catio you have!

    Reply
  19. The Poupounette Gang says

    March 8, 2012 at 10:17 am

    I love hanging out in Tommy’s kennel. Of course, he never ever sets paw there…

    Sorry we can’t offer any wisdom on the nip growing. #1 isn’t exact;y a black thumb, but it’s not exactly green either…

    Purrs,
    Sei-Chan

    Reply
  20. Pricilla - Famous SpokesGoat says

    March 8, 2012 at 10:05 am

    I am sure that dog knows who is in charge!

    Reply
  21. Cheysuli says

    March 8, 2012 at 9:38 am

    This reminds the Woman that she needs to water the house plants…

    Reply
  22. Laila and Minchie says

    March 8, 2012 at 9:04 am

    Our human has two black thumbs as well. This year she’s gonna invest in some fake flowers and put them in the planters.

    Reply
  23. Glogirly & Katie says

    March 8, 2012 at 8:32 am

    Well I’m sorry, Sparkle…but you won’t get any sound gardening advise here. My girl is pathetic. I didn’t even know catnip was something other than a ziplock baggy with dried pokey stuff inside.
    ; ) Katie

    Reply
  24. Penelope says

    March 8, 2012 at 8:20 am

    You nip looks muchalisious! And your view is marvelous! And cats should always fur up doggy beds!
    Kisses
    Nellie

    Reply
  25. Callie (a.k.a. Trouble) says

    March 8, 2012 at 8:16 am

    I believe you need to make the dog house yours – everything should belong to the cat.

    Reply
  26. Random Felines says

    March 8, 2012 at 6:40 am

    we hope the nip survives the humans….. we have one plant and mom says she is glad it is a cactus cause it lives no matter that she sometimes forgets to water it!

    Reply
  27. CCL Wendy says

    March 8, 2012 at 6:08 am

    Yes, I think your humans have dropped the ball when it comes to growing things. No water = no life!

    Of course, you should spread your scent all around that doggie’s tent! He/she needs to know who’s boss!

    Reply
  28. Cat's Cats says

    March 8, 2012 at 5:37 am

    Well at least you have a lush and green view from the patio even if you can’t grow plants yourself 🙂

    Reply
  29. The Kitties of Purring Pines says

    March 8, 2012 at 3:00 am

    We love your view! Good Bird & Squirrel TV. We still find nip tasty after it blooms. Your mom needs a gardener … Have a great day!

    Reply
  30. Poppy Q says

    March 8, 2012 at 2:59 am

    You have a lovely patio – what a great view. We are growing catnip too, and we don’t know what to do with it. Our branches are a bit longer, and mum just chops them off and gives them to me to roll around on the deck with.

    Enjoy your sunny day.

    Julie and Poppy Q
    xxx

    Reply

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