Catnip!

This year my garden yielded up a bumper crop of volunteer catnip. It isn’t the most beautiful plant in the garden, but as they matured I began watching the progress of the catnip’s usefulness. When the flowers bloomed the bees came in droves. For the entire summer. When the seeds appeared, sparrows and chickadees began harvesting them. I also discovered that catnip tea helps with insomnia and anxiety. Who knew! When I finally harvested the plants I was able to provide lots of the potent plant for my neighbors with kitties. The effects of catnip are fun to watch and cats seem to enjoy them. It isn’t good for kittens, because it can over-stimulate them.

I’m planning on making catnip sachets for Christmas. Next year I’ll plant catnip among my vegetables to attract pollinators. Nature is just plain wonderful. A humble plant can have so many uses. It makes me wonder how many medicinal plants we are losing to the destruction of the Amazon and other old growth forests.