Catnip

This year I thought I'd have a go at growing some catmint, a type of catnip. Though other toys lose Samson's interest rather quickly these days (and he's a devil when he's bored...) he'll come back to a catnip-filled one again and again. He loves the stuff.

What I didn't really anticipate was the interest from other local felines. This pestilent moggy ate most of the plants just as they were getting to a decent size! You're not supposed to eat it, moggy! You're just supposed to rub against it!

Apparently if they eat it, it is to bruise the leaves and release the essential oils. Eating it has a sedative effect though, while smelling it has a stimulating effect.

I moved the pot to the bikeshed roof but he found it there too...

So I quickly picked the stems that remained and hung them up to dry in an airy spot out of direct sunlight. (The buds are more potent than the leaves and I'd have liked to wait for them, but if things carry on like this the plants will never get that far!) It only took about a week before they were dry enough to crumble between my fingers.

Samson has not shown any interest in the live plant - in fact when I showed it to him he just looked confused and then bit me. However, dried, crumbled, and tied into an old sock, it's a whole different matter...

 

 

 

I think it's safe to say that Samson agrees homegrown is best!

Of course, catnip has uses for humans as well - being a member of the mint family, it makes a slightly sedative and stomach-calming tea, and it can be used as a culinary herb (though it should be avoided by pregnant women). Some say it has great healing powers and can help when applied to cuts. It's also supposed to be a pretty good deterrent of biting insects and rodents. I must grow more! Just as soon as I figure out how to protect it from unwanted attention...