Cats,Crocs,And Blue Shades

Its the twenty ninth of February today,a leap year.The crystal vase has a mixture of some Alstromeria growing in it.I wandered about the last time it was a leap year.

I had a look back at the last leap year in 2008.There was a blog post, I was at Trilby Street making an African bag garden.There were Blue Polyanthus flowering there.

http://snappycrocsgarden.blogspot.com/2008/02/garden-additions.htmlFour years later here are some more Blue Polyanthus growing in the sunken border.I love the Blue petals with the yellow inner eye.I do not know if these are the same ones.I took plants from Trilby street to Fishponds Drive,and here to Kettlethorpe where we are now.I love the link between 2008 and 2012.I caught the slinky malinky kitty sneaking in to try to forage some Catnip.I have some Nepeta growing on in the greenhouse.The areas moggies have eaten my plants to the base.I almost think he was chewing on the roots for his Catnip fix.This cheeky juvenile Squirrel was raiding the birds feeders.Eating sunflower hearts,peanuts,and fatballs.He was not bothered even when i tapped on the window.

The Crocodile and Cat statues are still in the garden.They are part of my healing garden.I hope to be blogging in four years when the next leap year occurs.

Carrots And 2 Cats

Cat had a girls dinner today on the patio.I had watered the garden last night,and spent this morning tidying up the debris and rearranging the pots to show off all the flowers.The table was moved to the centre, and the Pelagoniums neatly arranged on place mats.I left them to it and went to the allotment.The Asiatic Lily's looked like Jewels.

The black Kitten (who is still nameless) came into the garden during the dinner, and went to sleep under the Butterfly Bush.He also correctly sat on the grass near to where the Mole burrowed up.He must have either smelt or heard the tunnelling mole.There was a small pile of dirt on the grass when I came back.The jury is still out on various organic,non lethal methods of controlling Moles.

It is the 28th of July now,so we are nearly three quarters of the way into the growing season.The allotment has produced a mixture of highs and lows.

The Borage is growing away happily with its cucumber scented flowers.The Bee's and flying insects are drawn to this flowering herb.The flower is nice frozen in an ice cube,to flavour a summer drink.I have grown both Vegetable plants and flowers at the allotment side by side.I liked the idea of a French Pottager.

The Poppy is growing besides my raised bed.The reclaimed timbers hold the soil in just,and the Carrots,Borage, and Sunflowers are growing in harmony.I harvested a half dozen Carrots today which is brilliant.Picking Vegetables grown from seed is the most amazing high.A sense of pride, and completing the cycle.From seed,to seedling,to planting,tending and watering,to harvesting,and finally to eating the produce.Our supermarkets have driven us away from this process.School Kids can think Carrots come in plastic bags from the Supermarket.That they are uniform in size,colour, and shape.I do love the wonkiness of my allotment grown Carrots.Their uniqueness,scent,& great taste are what matters to me, not the aesthetics of how long they look.

The Sweetcorn has not grown very well.There are a few ears forming but my plants are not as big and upright as some of the others at the allotment.The Onions and Garlic have not grown as well as I would have liked.My Cauliflowers have been decimated by pests.I do not know if it is slugs,snails,rabbits,or pigeons.Most of my Brassicas looked like green net curtains earlier.Some of them have revived a bit,so they might produce edible Veg at the end of the season.

The Pea's I picked eaten from the pod have been amazingly sweet, even in the raw state.I love eating them at the plant.You need to grow double what you want so you can have one for you,one for the pot.

The Courgettes have been very productive.The Pumpkins are growing steadily.I have about six at the moment.I want one to turn into a Jack O Lantern at Halloween.

Having an allotment,or even just growing your own veg in pots makes you want to find ways of cooking and eating your produce.I have lots of cookery books to give me ideas.

A day of brilliant sunshine,flying Butterfly's,Carrots,and Cats.We are going to York tomorrow my fave City after London.

Suprised Visitor

This very slim baby Cat keeps sitting on the green building at the back of the garden watching the birds. He is only a baby and is so sweet looking.

He shyly looks at me taking his photo, when he is not looking high up at the tree's watching the birds. They sit far too high for him to get at. The black cat with the bell hides in the borders trying to catch the birds. He runs if I come into the garden.

We have made a bird sanctuary, with all the feeders, bird table, plants for insects, and the water bowl and birdbath. The concentration of birds obviously attracts these suprise felines from the neighbourhood.
We went to Tatton Park yesterday in the rain. The last big RHS flower show of the year. It rained most of the day, but never dampened my spirits or my camera. I have over two hundred photos to choose from for some blog posts.

Spokane And Stone Cat

The stone Cat looks on in the garden.The soil has frozen solid now. The birds water bowls have solid ice in them now. I will refill them up with fresh water so the garden birds have something to drink and wash with.
The buds I noticed today were on my two Camellias, the Hydrangea, the Raspberry bush, and the Shamrock Rhodadendron that Hils gave me last year..
The tender plants have succumbed to the cold weather. Jack Frost is clearing away last years plants ready for a new growing season. The bare patches will be blank canvas for new planting and colourful flowers.
The Roses need trimming to encourage new growth but I think I will wait a month.
I read on my comments there is a Lilac Festival in Spokane. The 71st festival since 1938.
http://www.spokanelilacfestival.org/
I am not the only one who loves the dreamy Lilac flowers.
It has been below freezing for five days here. The thought of Flower Shows and Festivals reminds us that warmer days will come soon. Sunny days with fragrant flowers and soft breezes.
I will take some more photos soon of what is flowering in the House...

Monkey Flower

Todays photo is a flower from Cats garden, the warm fiery tones of the Mimulus or Monkey Flower.I love the hairy throat that leads up to the pollen in the tubular petals.It almost has three green eyes in the top of the flower.
These have regrown from last year, maybe they self seeded or are perennials.The colours of these plants are usually striking orange, yellow, or red.
It was sunny today with no rain.I have not written that line very often over the past few months.
I brought the Chilli plants indoors today and harvested a good twenty chillis from various plants.They will live in the spare room over the winter.Most still have fruit developing on them too.Any one got some good chilli recipies?
Tomorrow is forecast cloudy but no rain, a perfect day to go to the allotment, to tidy up, dig the new Strawberry bed, and prepare for planting Broadbeans, and winter Cabbages..

Prime Suspect

The Prime suspect in my chewed Catnip Sixhills Giant Plant, Black spot Cat.... She is black with a white bib, with a black spot in the centre of her chest. I said that this lady cat loved roses, but cant grow them with a name like Black spot!
She has the air of being caught...What Catnip?I was just sniffing the plants delicous Aroma...the tips just dropped off...Purrrfect plant...