Brutally cold winters day. Perfect time to wander the garden and see what is going on.

Not much goes on in the garden in the winter.

Or so you might think.

Everything is brown, dried, dormant.

Dead.

Even the catnip.

Clearly some tidying up was needed. With so little plant to actually fight through now is a good time to remove the dead long, straggly stems. A handy pair of cutters were ready to snip and tidy.

The snipping and tidying removed some of the dead leaves that were covering the catnip bed. One of the end of season jobs that never got done. A layer of mulch and protection that were left to protect and feed. Shockingly, fresh catnip growth was spotted!

Yes, despite the arctic temperatures this hardy, vigorous plant was spouting some new growth. The protection of the leaves had kept the soil and plant warm and it hadn’t gone completely dormant.

Amazing, don’t you think?

After studying what happened during the last couple of winters it is clear this is one strong plant, and exists to make cats happy. Even in the winter. In order to keep it resting for the new growing season that will come in the next few months the leaves were replaced and the catnip given back to its winter slumber.

Unless some wandering feline comes to visit and indulge.

Why not make some stray or errant marauding house cat happy?

And given the weather, that is exactly purrfect.

And this is why you should be growing some catnip in your garden. Almost indestructible. And makes cats so happy!