California Dreamin'

 

Mike K., Monterey, California, shared this colorful photo and wrote: "This neighborhood cat frequently stops by my gardens to check out what's in bloom.."

Guardian of the Stoop

Tamara Stoneburner shared this photo of her cat. She wrote, "He is a 14-year old male named Bogart (after Humphrey of black-and-white films). We have to be in bed by midnight or he becomes out of sorts. Very vocal. Has a thing for ginger ale. Wakes me up at the very break of day, so that we can watch sunrises."

See if you can spot Bogart below watching his garden from inside the house.

Protecting Your Houseplants from Your Cats

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chas | Plants and Pets 🪴🐾 (@through.the.lleaves)

through.the.lleaves on Instagram shared these great tips for keeping your houseplants and cats safe from each other. What do you think? Have you tried any of these? Do they work for you? Got any additional ideas?

Little Miss Figgy

A few weeks ago, my garden club visited the Plants Alive! plant store. There, I met Figgy, the adorable (and adored) resident store cat. I asked the staff to share her story and  Amari Hemmings sent in these photos and wrote:

Meet Figgy, our lovable greenhouse cat and furry mascot of Plants Alive! Rescued from Animal Services Baltimore County by the kind-hearted Becky Sass-Crews, Figgy found her forever home amongst the lush foliage of our greenhouse. This whiskered wonder has since flourished in her new environment, charming everyone who enters our verdant sanctuary.

Figgy's days are filled with the sweet aroma of blossoms and the gentle rustle of leaves, providing her with the perfect playground for her curious spirit. An expert in plant navigation, she loves to explore every nook and cranny of the greenhouse, ensuring that no leaf goes unturned. Her favorite pastime, however, is bonding with our dedicated employees, who have come to treasure her delightful antics and friendly purrs.

Customers visiting our greenhouse are always thrilled to encounter Figgy, as she warmly greets them with a flick of her tail and an inquisitive gaze. As she rubs up against their legs and weaves through the foliage, Figgy never fails to bring a smile to their faces. She has become an integral part of our team and a beloved ambassador of our establishment.

Follow our instagram to keep up with Figgy - @plantsalive

Guardians of Gibbs Garden

I visited Gibbs Gardens north of Atlanta, Georgia, USA, a couple weeks ago with the Azalea Society of America. While there, I was thrilled to run into a trio of friendly garden cats. They are pictured here. Paisley is the long-haired calico shown at top. Tiger is the male striped kitty shown just below. The two bottom pics are of Spot who greeted our group at the entrance and enjoyed a nice sun bath on a cool spring day.

I found this terrific article about the cats at SmokeSignalsNews.com. In it, Jim Gibbs, owner, designer, and developer of the acclaimed Gibbs Gardens says, "Every garden needs a garden cat. Cats help keep down moles, voles and other pests that eat garden plants. The voles are the worst; they eat plants from the roots up.”

The article details also the origins of the Gibbs Gardens' cats and that at one point there were 11 of them on the property! I highly recommend a visit to the garden and for you to keep an eagle eye out for these friendly felines.

 

Hank in Wheelbarrow

 

This is "Hank in Wheelbarrow" by Edward Weston in 1945. Accirding to Wikipedia, Weston was "one of the most innovative and influential American photographers" and "one of the masters of 20th-century photography." 

He co-published a book titled "The Cats of Wildcat Hill" which is full of wonderful images of the 40 cats that lived on his property in the Carmel Highlands in Monterey County, California. 

Kim Weston follows in his grandfather's photography footsteps and you can see his photos here including one of a cat named Charis. "She has a wonderful soul and loves rolling in the dirt, chasing after anything that moves, and licking your fingers when trying to use the computer." A true garden cat!

Source: Art Institute of Chicago

Cowboy Kitty

Trisha Gedon, Senior Communications Specialist, Agricultural Communications Services, Oklahoma State University, shared these pics of Cowboy Kitty, the resident cat of The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma,  USA. She tracked down a source of Cowboy Kitty intel, Laura Payne, who used to be the Volunteer Coordinator there, but is now the OSU Extension horticulture educator in Payne County.

Laura told Trisha: “He was given to us by Linda Shackelford around 2012ish. He loves being the center of attention and if there is anyone around with a camera, he will find them. I once had to go get him from a family photo shoot, because he kept walking back into the shot.   He loves Temptation treats and chasing rodents in the garden, but most of all he just loves being around people.”

 

Linda Shackelford, and her late husband, Charles, were long-time supporters of The Botanic Garden at OSU. They also owned/operated TLC, a very successful greenhouse/nursery in Oklahoma City. They retired in 2012 and he passed away in 2022.