Playing Fetch With Ivy & Texture In The Garden
This morning Ivy engaged me in a game of fetch. She will bring me her swirly toy and either put it right in front of me or put it in my hand and wait for me to throw it.
Then she goes lumbering (don’t know how else to put it. Picture a cow running in a pasture) down the hall to fetch it.
This cat is so, so smart. Of course I suppose everyone with a cat says that.
Ivy spends a good amount of time on her tower. Playing in each of the tunnels. Taking her toys and putting them in there and then playing some kind of game I don’t understand.
She sleeps in there a good amount of time too.
I’m hoping her running around and jumping on it will help her lose some weight. However she can still run pretty darned fast after that swirly toy despite her weight.
Charlie’s always wherever I am. Not more than a foot away unless he’s eating or taking care of bodily functions outside.
Kind of sad that he never took to playing with toys, or playing at all really. Because he had loads of toys I kept getting trying to tempt him with and he always ignored them.
They are what they are and they do what they do. And that’s just the way it is.
I suppose Ivy more than makes up for it because she plays constantly. If she’s not sleeping or eating she’s playing. Or on her tower looking out on the patio, which she also loves to do.
I love the unusual sights I see in the garden. Not sure what this is but I love the texture. I think it might be scabiosa.
My patio is lush and the containers are full to overflowing. I’m going to have to start thinning them out a bit so all the plants can get sunlight.
I think the lavender is about to bloom. I don’t think I’ve gotten this far with lavender before as it’s typically died not long after I’ve planted it. I’ve just never had any luck with it, but I keep trying.
If I get some blooms I’ll be sure to show them off.
Do you have plans in your garden today?
Sounds like you could teach Ivy tricks if you wanted to do so…though I was of the opinion that not often will cats cooperate. Some of the cat toys my daughter got for her cat, the cat would not play at all…but the dog went absolutely nuts over…they are all different I guess… That is an odd flower…kind of reminds me of the alliums my mother-in-law grew. It is fun to have something different from what most other folks grow too I think.
That Ivy sure is entertaining! My dog is the very same. Lots of toys and she was never interested. My son’s dog is the complete opposite and I love to watch him amuse himself with various toys.
Helped my husband cut the grass today as he has a sore foot and we have a large property. That will be it for me today. Tomorrow I’ll work in my flower beds.
BTW I’ve never had any luck with lavender either. I’ve stopped trying…..
Planted some window boxes and hauled the plants I brought inside outside again. Last night there was a chance of frost. Our frost free date is June 7th and I jumped the gun even though I know better. We had a cat once that loved to chase and retrieve a small frisbee type toy that came in a cereal box. Box Car Willy would bring it back, drop it at your feet and wait for you to throw it. He never tired of the game. He was a stray that had been picked up by curators of an Art Train that brought art shows to remote small towns. They were heading back to Chicago and he needed a home. We interviewed to make him ours, and they were impressed that our last cat lived 19 years with us. Willy lived to be 14 and was a most unusual cat.
We have been mulching over the last few days. Today the weather is cool and sunny. I’ve taken a break from power washing and will finish the front of the house later when the shade comes. Starting some bigs jobs and seeing how nice things look is giving me the nudge I needed to tackle even more. Have a good evening.
We have about 10 lavenders now. 8 in pots and 2 in the ground. My gophers are eating everything. My Gardner mentioned he sees lots of lavenders in yards that gophers aren’t touching. I have an acre so fighting them off is hard. So far they haven’t bothered the ones in the ground so going to plant more. I saw this beautiful lavender garden planted in a circle and they use it as a walking garden. I’d love to do that but have to figure out how to combat those little buggers. Ivy is a crack up in that tree! She brings you such joy. And Charlie loves you to pieces.
I love that Ivy,she just has that look on her face that says,”hmmmm,what shall I get into now?”
My Buddy has the same face,Bella is and always has been very chill!
Things are just beginning to bloom here in N.Y.S. Love the lilacs fragrance.
Ivy is a hoot. Wasn’t it just a few weeks back you were writing about how she doesn’t know how to play fetch. Somehow, she figured it out since then. Amazing. Today it is “only” in the low 60s, about normal for this time of year, just off by a few degrees, but after the high 80s and high dew points last week where I felt I was roasting and certainly sweating like a man while doing the most mundane chores outside, it feels positively Arctic out there now, brrrrrr! I scrubbed out the bird baths (3) and my hands just about froze off. It must have dipped into the 40s overnight! It was 63 F in my house this morning when I got up. It will warm though by the end of the day. I just throw on an extra layer. I am heading out to the garden to cut back the viburnum shrubs in the backyard north garden bed. If they aren’t cut back they will overrun everything. It’s amazing how quickly they grow after a good pruning; the last one I did was 2 years ago. Yesterday I transplanted two of the 3 variegated hostas I planted under the front room picture window last May to put more room between them. The one in the center particularly grew 2x as big as the ones flanking it. Must get the perfect amount of sunlight and rain compared to the other 2, somehow, and yet all 3 cover a length of perhaps 6 feet. Go figure! I sure can’t.
Lots of garden plans here today!
Like you I need to thin out some area. My nasturtiums are looking a little sad so I’ll remove them knowing the will come back next year. I have some coreopsis to take their place.
I’ve never had much luck with lavender either. I think I always overwater. It really likes good drainage, not much water and lots of sun. Now that I learned that my luck seems to be turning around. I hope yours has too! Your patio is just gorgeous! You inspired my latest garden addition: an herb garden in pots and galvanized containers. Thanks!
So happy to see Ivy loves her tower. It is so great to see our flowers starting to really flourish. I am with you with my containers already overflowing. That is so wonderful so early to see them taking hold and growing. Enjoy that pretty patio.
Kris