Baby pictures - Azalea seedlings

Last winter I acquired a lot of seeds for eastern US native azaleas. I had to join 3 different azalea and native plant societies so I could buy from their members-only exchanges. It's tricky getting them started. You have to sow them on the surface of finely milled sphagnum moss, grow under lights, fight off fungal infections and eventually transplant the babies. The ones that survived I potted up and moved to the basement for the winter. They are growing like gangbusters. In May I'll move them to a protected spot under the apple tree for the summer.

From TTH200901

From TTH200901

From TTH200901

From TTH200901

Listening to Catnip

I planted two catnip plants in the herb bed last spring. Cats having no ability to delay gratification promptly uprooted and ate them. I bought two more larger ones and the night before I entered the hospital for my knee replacement I planted them out. I figured that would give them two weeks to get established before the cats could get at them again. The catnip plants flourished and all summer I would find cats wallowing and nibbling.

From TTH20081231

From TTH20081231

From TTH20081231

From TTH20081231

Cat, Interrupted

My smallest cat, Minou, is a skilled and dedicated hunter. She has been staking out a spot in the back flower bed for weeks. I have seen her sit and stare at the same spot for an entire afternoon.

From TTH20081231

From TTH20081231