Hello Kitten

Gopher · May 08 06 11:56

Nice is the operative word (no doubt this will raise a few hackles, but not yours, I know).

Must dash now, there was a great fall of catkins last night, and I want to brush them up before 'everyone' walks them in..

kitten · May 08 06 12:01

Gopher wrote:
Nice is the operative word (no doubt this will raise a few hackles, but not yours, I know).

[FONT color=#c00000]No, I got rid of my hackles quite some time ago. They kept snagging my sweaters.[/FONT]

Gopher · May 08 06 12:03

I assumed you would have known that a liberal application of catkins would have prevented this unfortunate occurence

kitten · May 08 06 12:15

From which plant? Pussy willow? Yellow birch? or is there some other kind?

Gopher · May 09 06 01:24

There are numerous varieties, however I am happy to tell you that you will find them all equally efficacious.However, in this instance, I imagine that Pussy Willow would be the most appropriate. Do please let me have your findings on this interesting subject - but not before telling me what you did with your hackles when you got rid of them.

tenkani · May 09 06 10:42

Gopher!!!

I forgot to check back on this thread. Thanks so much for your list of plants! I've only studied about half of them, so as you can see I'm still a horticultural n00b

We've been working with a lot of california natives and draught tolerant varieties. As you may know, California tends to have water shortages periodically so draught resistant plants tend to be popular. Of course, everywhere you look there are big, green, water-hungry lawns. Boo.

Anyway, thanks for the info!! I'll probably have questions for you at some point!

kitten · May 09 06 10:57

Gopher wrote:
There are numerous varieties, however I am happy to tell you that you will find them all equally efficacious.However, in this instance, I imagine that Pussy Willow would be the most appropriate. Do please let me have your findings on this interesting subject- but not before telling me what you did with your hackles when you got rid of them.

I did try to find out more about the use of catkins as medicine but so far the references have been really vague. So I still don't know if they are used or how they would be used as a "remedy for things that ail ya". I did see that some are used to make a brown dye, but that's it.

As for the hackles, I put them in a yard sale and there was some spirited bidding, I'll tell you! It got all the way up to seventy-five cents before I agreed to let them go. The last I saw, the new owner was packing them into a keg, which she then strapped onto her St. Bernard's neck before leading him away. I do hope they went to a good home.

Gopher · May 09 06 11:38

tenkani wrote:
Gopher!!!

I forgot to check back on this thread. Thanks so much for your list of plants! I've only studied about half of them, so as you can see I'm still a horticultural n00b

We've been working with a lot of california natives and draught tolerant varieties. As you may know, California tends to have water shortages periodically so draught resistant plants tend to be popular. Of course, everywhere you look there are big, green, water-hungry lawns. Boo.

Anyway, thanks for the info!! I'll probably have questions for you at some point![/DIV]
[FONT color=#c00000]Question away whenever you like, but at present I'd be even more glad of some physical help - at this time of year the garden reaches its peak, and you start to get the feeling that if you're not trying to control it 24 hours per day you may as well give up. Same thing happens every May, new life burgeoning in every square inch and simultaneously old life needing cutting down. All this though is made easier by the hatching out of some blackbirds in one of the bushes, it means I have an excuse to pause every so often to have a look at what's going on.[/FONT]

Gopher · May 09 06 11:39

kitten wrote:
Gopher wrote:
There are numerous varieties, however I am happy to tell you that you will find them all equally efficacious.However, in this instance, I imagine that Pussy Willow would be the most appropriate. Do please let me have your findings on this interesting subject- but not before telling me what you did with your hackles when you got rid of them.

I did try to find out more about the use of catkins as medicine but so far the references have been really vague. So I still don't know if they are used or how they would be used as a "remedy for things that ail ya". I did see that some are used to make a brown dye, but that's it.

As for the hackles, I put them in a yard sale and there was some spirited bidding, I'll tell you! It got all the way up to seventy-five cents before I agreed to let them go. The last I saw, the new owner was packing them into a keg, which she then strapped onto her St. Bernard's neck before leading him away. I do hope they went to a good home.[/DIV]
[FONT color=#c00000]It would be tragic indeed if the case proved to be otherwise.[/FONT]

kitten · May 09 06 11:44

Gopher wrote:

[FONT color=#c00000]It would be tragic indeed if the case proved to be otherwise.[/FONT]

[FONT color=#c00000][/FONT]

[FONT color=#7f007f]Recycling is a good idea, and making a profit is even better.[/FONT]

Gopher · May 09 06 11:46

kitten wrote:
Gopher wrote:

[FONT color=#c00000]It would be tragic indeed if the case proved to be otherwise.[/FONT]

[FONT color=#c00000][/FONT]

[FONT color=#7f007f]Recycling is a good idea, and making a profit is even better.[/FONT][/DIV]
[FONT color=#bf005f]Can't really argue with that. I recycle everything, but have to admit that nothing gives me greater pleasure than recycling unpostmarked stamps.[/FONT]

tenkani · May 09 06 11:47

[FONT color=#c00000]Question away whenever you like, but at present I'd be even more glad of some physical help[/FONT] If I lived within biking distance of your abode, rest assured I would offer my services. I'd be happy for the experience!

Gopher · May 09 06 11:53

tenkani wrote:
[FONT color=#c00000]Question away whenever you like, but at present I'd be even more glad of some physical help[/FONT] If I lived within biking distance of your abode, rest assured I would offer my services. I'd be happy for the experience![/DIV]
[FONT color=#c00000]Great, there's the garden path to start on first - it's completely earthen. I created it by placing two lines of bricks through the centre of what was a gigantic flower bed, (after which I looped it round so that at the start and finish it would connect uup with the 'real' garden path), just so I wouldn't have to disturb the plants every time something needed doing to them. 12 years later, bulbs and everything under the sun are still coming up through what should be an unsophisticated, albeit practical walkway - at present, lilies of the valley above all.[/FONT]

tenkani · May 09 06 12:05

Wow! That sounds lovely! Except for all the volunteers, of course

How big is your garden?? Is it shaded? What's the soil like? Did you have to amend it much?

Around here the soil is sandy and dead. It took me forever just to amend my little side yard with planting soil and compost. Oh, and there was a big stump right across the fence and (big surprise) gaggles of thick roots throughout my yard that I had to struggle with *wiping sweat from brow*

Gopher · May 09 06 12:17

tenkani wrote:
Wow! That sounds lovely! Except for all the volunteers, of course

How big is your garden?? Is it shaded? What's the soil like? Did you have to amend it much?

Around here the soil is sandy and dead. It took me forever just to amend my little side yard with planting soil and compost. Oh, and there was a big stump right across the fence and (big surprise) gaggles of thick roots throughout my yard that I had to struggle with *wiping sweat from brow* ......................................

It's a walled garden (walls are about 7ft high) consequently it's shaded pretty much of the time, although the sun DOES get in - but hardly ever in sufficient qualtity to do any shrivelling. The whole owes its super-fertility to having been a burial ground (never had to use compost or fertiliser, and for some reason it seems to be slug-proof). Only (almost) annual problem is caused by starlings which roost on every twig on every branch on every tree and plaster the whole place with gauano. I've never checked the dimensions, but will have a look later on - there's a great lawn in the centre. I'm going to try growing squash at the back of the plants this year - a bit shady I know, but just want to see how they get on.