When my wife asked what I wanted for Christmas, I didn’t know. I eventually gave her two choices: a plant stand with a grow light or a vintage medium-format film camera. She bought the camera. But the story doesn’t end here. My stepson, who is quite the amature horticulturist, discovered I was interested in growing plants inside and sent me a top-of-the-line grow light for Christmas.
After Christmas, I ordered the plant stand because I couldn’t let that light just sit there in the box. It arrived a few days ago and I assemble it on Saturday. The day before, I picked up three planters and three plants at Home Depot. I wanted to get more but they only had three planters in stock that were the size I wanted and that did not cost an arm and a leg. A also purchased potting soil as well as three plants: basil, mint, and catnip.
After assembling the plant stand and connecting the light, I put my herbs on the top shelf. As soon as I did that I sat in the living room and texted my stepson, Nick. I asked him how long I should leave the light on and at what intensity.
When I finished typing I looked through the door and saw Chris stretched as far as he could reach. He had one paw on the catnip plant and it was starting to tip over. “Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!” I yelled, as I quickly made my way out to the Florida room. Chris let go but now Frankie and Floki were interested in what was going on.
I decided to put the catnip on the ground so they wouldn’t knock it over.
After a little while, I put the catnip plant outside. I also put a bungee cord around the other plants.
Sunday I found more planters and I bought more plants to put in them. So far I have sweet basil, sweet mint, speramint, thyme, rosemary, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, and no catnip.
I can only hope now that the remaining plants are not so interesting. I also hope that the feral cat I see sometimes doesn’t destroy the catnip that I put outside.
Bad Cat Chris 
OOPS. Well, catnip would be a bit too tempting INSIDE that’s for sure but I’m guessing any cat passing by outside will be more than happy to visit the snack you left out there!! I had grow lights back in the 70s/80s when I was into propagating African violets. They do the trick!
Hugs, Pam
I foolishly thought in the middle on the top shelf might go unnoticed.
we hope the plant stand can stand the cats too … but what a gift… something for you what became a gift for the whole family… well picked ;O)
Fresh herbs are the best when cooking.
I once had several rows of plants on a part of the patio where I could enjoy them. The back rows were raised, each row a bit higher than the previous one.
In the midst of the next to last row, where I thought it would be safe from Woodie, the neighbor’s cat that lived on our patio, I transferred a nicely full catnip plant I’d grown inside on my plant grow light stand.
That afternoon after work of the catnip’s first day outside, I came home. Woodie was sprawled in a jumble of shredded and chewed catnip leaves. I checked the pot where the plant was. The entire plant had gone onto Woodie’s all-day catnip orgy.
After that, I grew catnip outdoors but in hanging planters outside the reach of Woodie and his sister Callie, who started coming around after she realized there was catnip on the patio. I gave each kitty a leaf or two each time I was on the patio, and that seemed to make them happy.
Good luck with your grow light catnip efforts!
Thanks. I noticed this morning that the feral had destroyed the catnip plant that I put outside.
I put a really well-developed catnip plant outside in a wire cage I thought would protect it from roaming cats. LOL! You know how that went!
It is like trying to keep squirrels out of a bird feeder.
LOL!
Neighborhood stoners…LOL.
“Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!” –this made me laugh. I say the same thing and figure out the cat know exactly what I mean! 😆😸
They are smarter than you know.
I’m not surprised that the cats went after the catnip. They can smell it a mile away.
I was naive to think otherwise.
None of those plants are available here in the winter time. I was just looking at some nip photos yesterday…Cooper Murphy was sitting in the pot of nip eating what was sticking out from under his body. Good luck with your project! Loved the video. XOCK, angel Lily Olivia, angel Mauricio, Misty May, angel Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy, Sawyer, Kizmet, Audrey & Raleigh
Thank you.
Cool set-up. I think the bungee cords are genius. Take THAT, kitties.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
So far so good.
Chris knows what he wants. 🙂
And he is not afraid to take what he wants.
They all seem to be having fun and I can’t blame them one bit!
Yes, they certainly are enjoying it.
Cute pics! I’m guessing that feral cat will be rolling in your catnip plant! Good luck. Just read the comment you left on my post today: that must have been so disappointing to lose out on that once-in-a-lifetime shot!
I’m used to it. I used to live by the water and spent many days outside with my camera waiting to get a picture of an osprey pulling a fish from the water. One day, my phone rang. I answered it and then looked up to see an osprey pulling a fish from the water less than 100 feet from me.
We must investigate and, sniff & chew what we find.
🙂
This gave me the biggest smile to start my day. I enjoyed the very real “adventure” they were having and getting to see them as well! Thanks for the blog.
I am always happy when I can make someone smile. Thanks for the comment.
To keep the cats away from the herbs and the spring “starters” here, I grow cat grass and keep it by where the cats eat. They eat the cat grass and (mostly) leave the other plants alone. Good luck! Barb
Thanks, Barb. I am no longer a fan of cat grass because it is designed to die after a few weeks so you have to buy it over and over again. It took me a while to figure that out. I kept wondering what I was doing wrong.
The cats were probably very please that they got an extra Christmas present
No doubt, at least for as long as it lasted.