Garden Notes

Four year old Mutsie standing on front porch

Springtime on a farm is a time of renewal. It is a time of new calves, baby chickens, and new little kittens.

Each spring our female cat had at least 5 or six new kittens, usually enough for each child to have one of their very own. The mother cat carefully hid her babies until their eyes were open and at least 2-3 weeks old before bringing them out to meet us. We were always excited to meet the new kittens. It was so much fun dressing them in doll clothes and pretending the kittens were actual babies while playing house. They were alive and so much more fun than our dolls. Sometimes however, the cat would get tired of our game and escape. Often by the time we caught the cat again, the doll clothes were a big mess.

One summer while we were working in the garden, my little sister Mutsie, who was about 4 at the time, stood near us holding her newest kitten. One of the older girls told her that she should try planting her kitten so she could grow a lot more cats. We all thought it was funny, everyone laughed and we continued on. Lunchtime came and we all went inside.

Sometime after lunch, we heard a big commotion outside with a lot of shrieking and caterwauling. Running out to check on the noise, we found Mutsie in the garden with her kitty. She had dug a hole and was holding her kitten in the bottom of the hole while trying to cover it up with dirt in an effort to “plant her kitty.” The cat of course was not cooperating and was frantically scratching and making a lot of noise while trying to escape. My mother was not amused. The kitten was quickly rescued and we all got a lecture about telling lies and how those of us who simply listened and laughed were just as bad as the person spinning the tale.

After mom went back into the house, we talked over what had just happened. Trying to grow your own kitty was funny, but OK, maybe actually burying the poor cat went too far. This event has become one of those old family stories that gets told and retold at family gatherings and after all these years, it is still funny.

A Child’s Vegetable Garden