Butterflies Inside by artist Wendy Stevenson

Amanda's Story

McGee

Amanda was wondering why her Meowmie was outdoors in her gardens so much. As she was having her breakfast this morning she heard her Meowmie telling Deowdie all of her plans for what she called a "Scented Garden." She wondered what a scented garden was. Was Meowmie planting perfume bottles? Her perfume always smelled so good when she wore it for special occasions.

Meowmie was on vacation from work and Amanda thought that she would be spending more time with her. Instead Meowmie went driving to Home Depot and brought home a lot of plants yesterday. Amanda knew that Meowmie loved flowers. She filled the house with vases of flowers every week when she went grocery shopping. A bouquet of flowers was always in the grocery bags when Meowmie put her groceries away. Amanda liked to sit on the dining room table next to the vase of flowers and inhaled their wonderful aroma. Maybe Meowmie would let her help plant in her new scented garden. She wanted to spend some time with Meowmie in her gardens. Just then Meowmie came into the kitchen and Amanda purred to her...

McGee

Meowmie, I do not see much of you. You seem to be furry busy in your gardens. Could I help you? We used to garden together. Remember when you let me have my own garden plot and I planted cat mint and catnip? That was a lot of fun.

Amanda, I am so sorry that I have been neglecting you. I did buy you some more plants for your plot. It is all overgrown and needs to be weeded. Let's plan to work on it now. I'll find your leash and hook you up to your runner by your gardens.

After getting Amanda's leash, the two of them went into the gardens. Amanda enjoyed being outside for a change. She had a close up view of Meowmie's gardens. Oh, Meowmie, she mewed, what is this plant? It is so furry pretty...

Shibui

... the leaves are so green and the flowers are such a bright shade of pink. It smells good, too!"

Amanda's meowmie replied, "That plant is a dianthus, commonly called a pink. It is one of my favorite perennials. My grandmother loved them, too. She planted a border of pinks in her scented garden."

"What is a purrennial?" asked Amanda.

"Perennials are hardy, reliable plants that survive the winter. They come back year after year, just like old friends."

"That's furry nice! Are we going to plant more purrennials today?"

Sam

Yes, Amanda. We will plant some more purrennials today. I think it would be nice if we planted those first since they will be permanent. Later, we can fill in around them with annual plants that don't return every year, but give lots of beautiful color to the garden. Do you like this blue flower, Amanda? It grows very tall, so I thought we could plant it in the back.

Amanda was so excited and happy that she purred and purred her delight. All of a sudden, she spotted a plant in Meowmie's Home Depot box and said...

McGee

Meowmie, is that plant what I think it is! It smells like catnip to me.

It is catnip. I know how much you enjoy this treat. I also bought you some catmint.

Oh, mews, I cannot wait to plant these. Let's work on my garden first. I will help you to clear out the debris.

OK, Amanda. I have to go to my potting shed first to get my gardening tools. That reminds me, I left my sneakers and some of my tulips and flowers in my basket in the shed. I must put the cut flowers into a vase of water, then we will work on your garden.

Amanda was so excited. She watched her meowmie go into her shed and bring out her cut flowers and go into the house. Hmm, she purred, I wonder what other purrennials Meowmie bought. Oh, my, this one is so pretty. I will have to ask Meowmie it's name. I cannot read the tag. Just then a blue bird flew over her head and Amanda ...

Spring Flowers by artist Norman Rockwell

McGee

watched it land on the birdbath near Meowmie's bench. Amanda quietly got up on the white garden bench to watch the bird have a drink. Bees buzzed around Meowmie's beautiful roses which had just begun blooming. More buds would soon open. Amanda thought that this was just a perfect spot to sit and look at Meowmie's beautiful creations. She wondered what flowers her Meowmie would put into her scented garden. She would have to ask Meowmie what flowers she had chosen for this new creation. The roses had a nice smell to them but Amanda liked the smell of catmint much better. She could hardly wait for Meowmie to come back outside to begin working in her catmint flower bed. Just then, she heard...

Afternoon Delight by artist Laurie Snow Hein

McGee

a flutter overhead and turned to watch what it was. It was a very tiny bird and it headed over to Meowmie's foxgloves. What a beautiful bird and so tiny, Amanda thought to herself. She stayed very quiet on the white garden bench and watched the bird feed from the foxglove for awhile until she heard...

Rufus Hummingbird and Foxglove by artist Don Li-Leger

Spike

Meowmie returning with her gardening tools. Now Amanda, where should we start?
Oh Meowmie, lets start with my garden, please. I love the smell of the catmint. Amanda armed with a loud purr rubbed her head against Meowmie's arm.
Giving her a loving stroke Meowmie laughed. You know Amanda, catmint has a nice fragrance for me too. I think it will make a nice border between my scented garden and your garden, don't you? The little blue flowers are so lovely as well.
Amanda and Meowmie started digging in the soft dirt. Amanda thought to herself how nice it felt to feel the rich soil under her paws. She had forgotten just how good the dirt felt and smelled. She dug a bit faster to enjoy it even more.

After a bit she felt something hard beneath her paws. It smelled familiar but she couldn't quite determine what it was. Meowmie take a look at this.
Meowmie came over to where Amanda was working and using her trowel uncovered their turtle, Pokey. Well, well I wondered where Pokey had spent the winter. He likes your garden too, Amanda.

After a good investigation of Pokey with her nose and paw, Amanda went back to her gardening. It wasn't long until all the old plant materials had been cleared from the garden and Meowmie and Amanda had the soil tilled. Amanda stretched and discovered how tired she was. Meowmie, could we....

McGee

go inside and sit on our sunporch. I feel a catnap coming on. I missed a couple of them already.

Sure, Amanda, I can go inside for a little while too. It is getting warm here in the garden. I'm in need of a shower and then I will make some iced mint tea for us. If you do not like tea, I will add some icecubes to your water bowl for when you awaken.

Both of them went inside and Amanda headed for the sunporch where she curled up in one of the wicker chairs and fell asleep. Amanda liked the sunporch because she could see and hear the birds at Meowmie's feeders. She usually spent most of the winter on the sunporch amongst Meowmie's indoor potted plants. It was her favorite place to rest. After awhile Amanda awoke from her nap and went in search of her meowmie. She found her in the...

Wicker And Winter Sun by artist Suzi Mather

McGee

kitchen arranging her cut flowers that she had left in her sink of water. She had picked out one of her beautiful crystal vases to put the flowers in. Oh, my, Amanda said to her meowmie, what a beautiful arrangement!

Smell them Amanda. They will freshen up the air in the diningroom. That is why I am planting a scented garden, so that I will have my own flowers from the garden to make arrangements from instead of store bought ones. I will have the satisfaction that I planted my own flowers for cutting.

Maybe after it cools down outside, we can finish planting my catnip garden and then have time to begin planting your scented garden, Meowmie. I just love sitting on the white bench to view all of the flower gardens. They attract wonderful birds and butterflies too.

Yes, Amanda, flowers are beautiful and they do extra work by attracting our feathered friends and flying flowers. We will plan to finish your site and then start on my scented garden after dinner. What would you like to eat?

Amanda replied...


McGee

I would like some tuna fish water and my Healthy Pet food. You can probably make yourself a tuna salad with the can of tuna fish.

Hmm, Amanda, that sounds like a good idea. A tuna salad would be just right for me for supper as the weather is warm.

After supper Amanda and her Meowmie headed back to the gardens and finished Amanda's catmint garden. Then they began on the scented garden. The plants smelled wonderful and the little name tags showed Amanda pictures of what the plants would look like when they began flowering. There were tea roses, baby breath, oriental lillies, shasta daisies, cone flowers, garden phlox, spike gayfeather, balloon flowers and globe thistle. There were also some herbs and annuals to offer Meowmie good plants with color and texture to help her make great cut flower arrangements.

Besides these plants, Amanda, I can cut some plants from my shade garden like ferns, English ivy and palace purple to add darker color and texture to my arrangements.

After everything was planted, Amanda and her Meowmie sat on the white garden bench to watch the sunset. The birds were busy flying home to their nests and the fireflies were beginning to patrol the gardens.

Amanda mewed softly to her Meowmie, This has been one of the the best days that we have shared together. Gardening is a good chore. We have created beautiful views from my garden and your new one. After the flowers grow to full size, I can take a walk through the plots and smell all of the pretty plants. I can also watch from the sunporch windows to see nature in all of it's glory. Birds, bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, cardinals and squirrels will be admiring your gardens too.

Yes, Amanda, gardening is a good thing for we us to be doing. We are just giving back to nature what we have taken away by using land for homes, businesses and highways. It is good to be one with nature. Amanda nestled next to her Meowmie and fell into a contented nap. Meowmie smiled and patted Amanda and the sun went down.