| A few months ago the seed merchants Erica Vale
Australia P/L introduced a range of seeds for cat-lovers to grow. "Cat Grass"
Dactylis glomerata is claimed to provide moggie with vital nutrients and
"Catnip" or Nepita cataria as anyone will testify who's ever grown it is an
absolute cat turn-on, while "Cat Mint", Nepita mussinii makes cats
"seriously silly" according to the pack. Now as with all actions there is a
reaction. One day after the release I started getting calls on my talk-back radio program
and it seems that there is an equally keen group of gardeners out to rid their neighbours'
moggies and muts, because let's face it pedigrees never seem to stray! Since the strychnine filled hollow-point sub sonic on a .22 fitted
with silencer is not known to be legal in any Australian urban environ or terribly Kosher
in this millenium, what are the possibilities?
Well apart from the obvious NIMBY solution (ie
not-in-my-back-yard, just in case you are an extraterrestrial) which would be to buy three
packs of the Erica Vale Cat Lovers seeds and give them to the offending neighbour with the
neighbourhood's compliments, try these.
Most 'pet repellent' products (these a misnomer if a
gardener ever saw one) contain an active agent called aluminium ammonium sulphate. It is
apparently very obnoxious to the wet nose brigade, but almost undetectable to their dry
nosed owners or neighbours.
For the organic solution, try planting "Rue",
Ruta graveolens. It didn't get that Latin name for having a pleasant smell either! There
is a lovely ornamental cultivar called "Jackman's Blue" with very deep blue-grey
leaves and even the species from seed is alright. It favours poor alkaline soils and
plenty of sun and is a deterrent for nearly everything and everyone, if you bruise the
leaves.
As for keeping puppies from your lawn, most experts agree
that only training will prevent butch from rearranging the divots in the "Kentucky
Blue". |
