The freezing storms, plus consistent below-freezing nights for months, have set back our season a bit, but temps are now rising. I tucked in a lot of pots over the winter and have finally dragged them out to see the sun. One was a new catnip that never got planted in the fall: nepeta x mussinii* that will be lucky to stay intact long enough to get planted because the neighborhood cats are going bonkers over it! My yard has always been a cat magnet because of other catnips, water bowls, no dogs, lovely large litterboxes (
) and I know a lot of them, but this year has brought several newcomers who look like pets, not strays. I wonder if a lot of people got Covid pets last year? Whatever, none of them can resist this poor little pale plant. Lots of rolling, rubbing and chewing
This one, N. faassenii "Select Blue" has been trying to emerge for a couple of months, but it keeps getting squished. The white fuzz is cat fur
*I'm a bit confused about this. From Missouri Botanical Garden site:
"N. mussinii Spreng...is synonymous with N. racemosa, but N. mussinii hort. (plants sold in the horticulture trade) is synonymous with N. x faassenii. ...This plant is sometimes listed and sold by nurseries as Nepeta x mussinii 'Blue Wonder.' " I hate it when they make it so confusing!
One of the ferals. Looks like hell but is actually quite sweet. I think the Crazy Cat Lady around the corner feeds some of these, but doesn't give them any care. Poor thing. I've thought about trapping him and taking him to the animal shelter.
Did she, was she able to smell it?
I think I see dill emerging. Thinned a bunch of arugula, then went to the nursery. Damn it feels good to see things growing! 
