(I’m a couple of days late with this one; I’m sorry. -A)
Cats in the limelight, feels like it’s alright,/ Everybody wants something they might not get./ I ain’ ready yet, it ain’t complete That’s why I am headin’ down to Alleycat Street./ by Worriedman
Jerome J. Garcia / Robert C. Hunter – Cats Under the Stars Read on Substack
I’m working on a piece for my other substack “ Green Side Up”
It’s about water. Watering plants specifically. It needs to be a somewhat fundamental statement of principles. I’m trying to take it seriously. I shouldn’t be posting pictures of cats and flowers and dogs and whatnot. Not with a fundamental principle out there, waiting to be stated.
Screw that. I took some hella sweet pictures of Barncat yesterday. And a couple of good ones of Amos and associated Minions. Then, this morning the sunrise behind the greenhouse walls was breathtaking. So there you go. Watering will wait. Get a load of these!
Barncat ! I tempted her up on a hay bale with some treats. Great place to take a picture.
Amos & Crew
A clematis –
That’s all I got room for- thanks for dropping by!
It was a blustery weekend. “ Blustery” was a word I learned in the fourth grade from our teacher, Mrs Wigel. She spent the first period reading to the class every morning. She read us “Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day “ which was a Disney product and not the original book by AA Milne . I was never much of a Winnie the Pooh fan. I did learn “blustery” though and use it every time the situation permits.
It was blustery today up on the Hill with the Mule in his Minions. They were pretty muddy!
Crocus ! Crocus ! Crocus !
German Iris. These poor things don’t know what time of year it is – they are reblooming like nobody’s business.
Amaryllis!
That’s all I got room for – thanks for dropping by! (snip)
Readers may or may not recall I’ve been undergoing some major work around our house. Back in December was the first of the foundation work, in which piers were placed at strategic points around the house to raise it after drought and earthquakes caused major dirt shifting on our block (and others surrounding.) Anyway, some or maybe all of you may be aware of the amount and depth of digging required for the work. There were great trenches around the house, including the front flower bed (mostly dedicated to wildflowers for birds and bees; nothing at all formal, just nice in a simple way.) But there were a few daffodil plants, to which DH was quite partial. I figured the entire bed’s plants were gone after the work, but this past Tuesday I pulled into the driveway after an errand, and there are the daffodil plants (not yet blooming) out drinking in sunlight, in pretty close to the same spots they used to be! I’ve just been amazed by that, and it’s a really nice thing to see out front. Thanks for reading! ⚘
A couple of “new to me” favorites! Moon Carrots and Blood Lilies –
We have some lovely islands in our parking lot at work. Over the years they’ve been lushly and beautifully planted with all manner of wonderful things. Year before last, during a stretch of drought, the irrigation quit working and everything died. Our director of research is a gifted landscaper. He’s taking the islands on as a personal project. I’m continually delighted all season long with the things he’s done.
About midsummer last year these started turning up.
I sent the r&d director a picture captioned “ What the hell!?” He texted back “ Moon Carrot”
I texted back“ Dumb ass – just tell me what kind of plant this is!”
“ It’s a Moon Carrot plant . “Seseli” something or a rather. (Seseli gummiferum) It’s an Apiaceae( carrot family) .
Details – a member of the carrot family (Apiaceae or Umbellifers – the flowers form a pleasing umbrella shape) the plant is originally from the dry mountainous regions of Turkey and Ukraine.
Light : Full sun, tolerates some shade
Height: 2 to 4 ft
Spread: 1 to 1 1/2 ft.
Flower Form : flowers grow off a central stem forming an umbrella shape
Culture: Originally from dry, mountainous regions , Moon Carrot thrives in near drought conditions and poor soil. Make sure the soil is well drained -No wet feet! pH and general soil quality are unimportant. This plant thrives in tough conditions. My kind of plant!
The pictures all seem to look like this – one central stalk – very upright
Ours all look like this – Lucy goosey laying over with several blooms coming up from off of the stem
Moon carrots are biennial. This means that the moon carrot’s life cycle takes two seasons to complete. The first season the plant grows from seed into a small mound of lovely blue green foliage. With cold weather this foliage dies back to the ground, just like a herbaceous perennial. After a winter’s rest, in the spring, the plant returns, this time growing the long stalk accumulates in an umbral of flowers. These eventually form seed. With the second season of cold weather, it dies back to the ground never to return. The seeds, sown by gravity in the immediate area, will germinate and form new plants with the warm weather The following season. Biennial = 2-year life cycle with flowers and seeds forming in the second season. I have read that if the flowers are removed before forming seed, the plant will come up every season and form flowers until those flowers are permitted to set seed at which time the plant will die. By removing the blooms, we can turn the plants into what is essentially a perennial. Does this work? I don’t know. I may try that this year !
Moon carrot seems like the perfect specimen plant to me. An attention grabbing, hard to miss beauty that would be overpowering in a group.
Propagation is from seed.
One day, during my first season in my current position, my boss stuck his head my office, threw me a bag and said “Here, you’ll thank me later”
It was a Blood Lily – Scadoxus multiflorus . From Africa, we get ours from Swaziland and the Congo.
Usually planted in pots , these spectacular flowers make a great specimen plant. Get them up on a table where you can look closely at the marvelous geometric precision.
Light: Bright , indirect sun, or partial sun during the day. Avoid hot direct sunlight such as unfiltered afternoon sun.
Height: 18 – 24 “
Spread: 15 – 18”
Flower Form: Amazing !
Foliage: Bright green, succulent leaves may appear while blooming, they’ll usually they show up after blooming is done.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 9 – 11
Culture: Best in a container. Sandy soil with good drainage. Some compost is nice to help the soil hold moisture. They only need moderate water – don’t overdo it! Use a high phosphorus fertilizer a couple of times a month during growing season -one formulated for blooms is perfect. After the plant blooms and begins to go dormant gradually reduce the water and stop fertilizing. The upper greenery will all die back. Move indoors for the winter. Water only enough to keep the soil moist. I kept mine in the closet. In the Spring, once the danger for frost is past, pull the plant out into the light, give it a good drink of water and some food.
Propagation is easy . After the flower blooms, little red berries appear. The seeds are in there. When the seeds fall off – rinse off what’s left of the berry and let them dry. Sow them right on top of some moist potting mix. A bulb will form on top of the soil. In a few months, new growth will appear.
On plants that are several years old, offsets will appear on the main stem. Allow them to grow for a couple of seasons. Once the time is passed, use sharp scissors to remove the offset, roots and all. Plant in a new pot.
There are more poisonous plants than blood lilies, they can, however, make you or your pets pretty sick. Be careful!
That is your two cool plants for today. Everyone will envy you and they will make you happy.
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, It isn’t just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there’s the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo, or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter, Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—
But all of them sensible everyday names,
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that’s particular,
A name that’s peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum— Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there’s still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover—
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation, The reason, I tell you, is always the same: His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name: His ineffable effable Effanineffable Deep and inscrutable singular name.
Barn cat is a righteous little storm of constant movement. I have to take four pictures to everyone I can use – sometimes more. Here’s the first nine pictures I took for this session.
Several years ago I participated on a social-ish health website named Sparkpeople (it’s not out there anymore. If it is, it isn’t the same one. Anyway.) A gentle friend who battled weight gain and depression told us one day about a phone app called “Eternal Sunshine.” It sends out daily (sometimes not as often) affirmation messages, just to sort of pat a person on the back and remind them that they’re enough. Here is today’s, because maybe someone can use it:
“The best thing you can do for yourself is to give yourself grace. Falling is not failing; it’s learning to fly. Forgive your mistakes, and look forward to trying again.”
It’s just that many times, this little app sends exactly the message I need when it arrives. I’m OK on this so far today, so maybe somebody else needs it, and here it is. Fly!
Scottie's Playtime 