Friday, August 28, 2015

The Cat and the Catmint

In Paso Robles I have a pot of catmint in my front flower bed. Every year I cut it back, and in spring the new growth starts. This is how it looks at the beginning of June when the catmint begins to leaf out again. For a closer look at photos, please click to enlarge them.


The Cat and the Catmint
Catmint Leafing Out in Spring, © B. Radisavljevic




Once the plant begins to leaf out, it grows fast again. This photo was taken a month later in the first week of July. If you look carefully, you will see the buds for the flowers to come beginning to form.


The Cat and the Catmint
Catmint in First Week of July, © B. Radisavljevic

By the end of July, the flower spikes have formed and you see the small blue or lavender flowers appear. The color of this plant's flowers is lighter than in some other catmint plants, but you can see the faint lavender tinge. It may be that soil conditions are preventing the color from being deeper. It is very dry here and I've not added much to the soil in the pot in a couple of years.


The Cat and the Catmint
Catmint Flowers at End of July, © B. Radisavljevic


Our neighbor's cat Logan does not care how deep the color is. He comes over to steal or beg for the leaves to chew so that he can get drunk on them. He is chewing on a leaf now.


The Cat and the Catmint, © B. Radisavljevic
Logan Eating Catmint, © B. Radisavljevic

In the photo below, Logan has finished a leaf or two and is definitely under the influence. He will recover and wander home in a few minutes. He will return again. If I'm not here, he knows how to help himself.



The Cat and the Catmint
Logan Drunk on Catmint, © B. Radisavljevic

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