Remus Nautilus, my beautiful black cat is back for another post.
You may have met him in this earlier post Companion planting with a beautiful cat
Well here he is again.
I noticed that he spends more time than ever before, posing in the garden. Clearly he is waiting for me to take some photos to publish in some blogs.
The lovely, positive comments he received have clearly gone to his head. I suspect he is expecting to land a TV show sometime soon!
Not sure he actually does garden for England but he is there for every gardening task, in Favolosa, the greenhouse, or anywhere else in the garden.
Well, here is an update on Remus Nautilus the companion gardener, sometimes helpful, mostly not, but always jolly amusing black cat.
Gardening with that beautiful black cat
First we have a typical Remus Nautilus pose. I wanted to mow some of the grass, leaving other areas uncut for wildlife.
Remus Nautilus had other ideas. He threw himself in front of me, fastening onto my purple gardening shoes.
Once he had my attention, it was time to strike some poses, many of them upside down, whilst awaiting the camera.
All accompanied by loud purring and a meow or forty. Actually, make that eighty!
I seriously thought about sitting down on the lawn, as the antics lasted for so long today.
Once “Operation roll over” had been completed, we were ready to get the mower out. He always walks in front of the mower, directing operations.
And then it started to rain!
Since it was now pouring with rain, it was time for some fun and frolics in Favolosa, the beautiful greenhouse. I may share some photos of that on another post!
The watering can incident
Next came some watering can shenanigans.
Remus Nautilus decided to do some spot checks on watering cans.
Although, I have fabulous metal watering cans, Remus Naut prefers the only plastic one I have. Clearly, he finds it easy to get his head in the can for a thorough check.
Thankfully, his head does slide back out again!
Another reason for me to have the lovely metal Kent & Stowe cans. He cannot get his head in them easily. A great idea when I add tomato feed to the water too, for fertilizing my plants.
Also, as replacements for my very old watering cans, which were becoming brittle, replacing with metal instead of plastic is a better option.
One of my earlier posts is about reducing plastic for gardeners.
Here is the link to this post if you would like to read it World Environment Day. Action wonderful gardeners
I have added a link below for the watering cans I have purchased.
Once Remus had removed his head, I tucked the can away in Favolosa and used my metal cans to water in the greenhouse. Remus Naught hopped onto the staging and narrowly missed a soaking or ten. Always available to help, and always incredibly amusing!
Helpful cat on butterfly count
Next we have the Big Butterfly Counts.
The Big Butterfly Count is a UK-wide survey aimed at helping to assess the health of our environment. We get to help by counting the amount and type of butterflies we see.
Here is the link for the count https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/
I try to carry out three counts each day and at every count Remus Nautilus is in attendance. My rescue chickens are always nearby as well.
Naturally, whilst my lovely girls are keen to watch and chase the butterflies, Remus Nautilus prefers to roll around. I imagine he expects a photo or two but clearly I am busy watching and recording my counts, so no time for that!
Each count takes fifteen minutes, so from minute sixteen onwards he is back to being the centre of attention and every roll over and pose can be applauded.
Back to the counts for a moment. Overall, the counts have been really great on sunny days. Up to thirty eight butterflies have been counted on my buddleia, marjoram, scabious and alliums.
Fingers crossed for a good year for all the counts. The three weeks of counting have just finished so we eagerly await the results.
Here is the link if you missed my butterfly count post and want to take a look Counting beautiful butterflies, gardeners can help
Ok, sorry Remus Naut, the most beautiful black cat, let’s get back to you, and take some more snaps!
Weeding operations with a beautiful black cat
A daily task for us is weeding and deadheading the flowers. With over three hundred dahlias and many other flowers, there is a large amount of sniping to do.
With all the rain we have been having, the weeds have been growing at an alarming rate. I almost feel that if I stopped to watch, I could see them unfurling from the ground and reaching for the sky. Let the battle commence!
All the weeds and deadheaded flowers are thrown into a pile which has to be checked by Remus Naut, the beautiful black cat.
Clearly, he needs some assistance sometimes and today it is the turn of my lovely chicken, Rafaela Rooster. Obviously, she is not a rooster but she acts like one, so the name has stuck.
Checking operations for Remus Naut involves pouncing on the heap and collecting any interesting foliage to kick around and chew. Primarily, this is done to entertain me I believe, so I must always stop and watch the displays of dexterity and have a chuckle or ten.
Of course, I must also take several snaps of his antics. After all, he really is an absolutely beautiful black cat, and doesn’t he know it!
However, I am careful about what material I add to the heaps. For example, when deadheading my lilies, these are added straight into the compost bins, as lilies are toxic to cats.
Although my cats are fairly sensible (gosh, did I really type that!) and would not want to eat a lily, I prefer to remove the spent flowers, out of harms way.
Perhaps Remus Naut can work out which weeds can go on the compost heap and which ones are not suitable, and need to be thrown in the brown bins. I shall ask him, if he stops posing for a moment or trying to get his head back into the red watering can!
Gardening for fun
Ultimately, whatever Remus Nautilus is doing in the garden or greenhouse, my beautiful cat is having immense fun. Something we can learn from him.
Although, we might not want to pounce on our weeds and kick them around, we really should have as much fun as possible in the garden.
Squeezing our heads into a watering can might not be fun for us either!
I thoroughly enjoy gardening with Remus Nautilus, my beautiful black cat, and my lovely chickens.
Despite having to keep an eye on any over exuberance that could damage a plant, the benefits of companion gardening to me are immense.
I will remind myself of that sentence when I find the next chicken dust bath has been dug out of the lawn.
Likewise, when Remus Nautilus is helping in Favolosa, and decides on a quick snooze in a seed tray. Always a tray with some little plants about to poke through the compost.
No doubt the added warmth of a cat will help with germination. Always look for the positive I say, and have a laugh!
Altogether, the fun of gardening with beautiful Remus Nautilus and the lovely chickens is a joy and my garden would be a poorer place without them.
Stay tuned for more of their antics in future posts. They will be back!
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2 responses to “The beautiful black cat who gardens for England”
As well as clearly being a fabulous help in your garden it seems that Remus Nautilus also enjoys being a great entertainer. Always good to have company in the garden😊
Thank you for your comments. So true. Remus Naught is a great entertainer, centre of attention and so very helpful. It is lovely to have company in the garden and I am lucky to always have my fabulous rescue chickens nearby being jolly helpful and amusing, and Remus Nautilus, normally posing upside down ready for a photo or twenty 😍