Inspector Bear sniffs the blades

of my shears... now he's got me wondering who peed on the partridge peas before they were snipped! No, not Prince; his smell is familiar and not worth a second glance (er, sniff), but newcomers are another story.

My money is on a deer,

source

plentiful in these parts, bane of gardeners

who like hostas and non-native sh^t, but no problem on my seven acres of prairie, timber, savannah, clay, and wetlands. The deer will eat an occasional lily or partridge pea, but I've got plenty more where those came from.

Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)

Wild legumes, including partridge pea, often are critical winter food and covers sources for upland game, especially when other food sources have spoiled or been depleted. This plant in particular is important for northern bobwhite and other quail because its dense stands stay in sound condition, providing thermal protection and nutrition (seeds) until early spring. Partridge pea seeds are generally high in phosphorus content and protein value, and low in crude fiber and lignin, making them easily digestible. Seeds are also eaten by ring-necked pheasants, mallards, greater and lesser prairie-chickens, and several grassland birds. Its browse maintains crude protein levels near 30 percent, but it is also relatively high in fiber and lignin levels. Livestock will consume it, but if ingested in large quantities it can be fatal. White-tailed deer can and will eat it without being harmed and do so readily throughout the summer and fall.

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See more at Know Your Deer Plants: Partridge Pea

Partridge pea and its Medicinal Uses in the Herbology group

Here in Hawaii, I am noticing people's guerrilla sowings of partridge pea. ... Usually either an edible or a medicinal use, or both.

And now the dogs are sneaking upstairs while my back is turned,

sniffing out trouble. Back to the kitchen boys! On your mats!

Never mind the cat!

--Guerilla gardening?

I'll talk about that another day, if anyone cares to know more....

Guerrilla gardening is the act of gardening on land that the gardeners do not have the legal rights to cultivate, such as abandoned sites, areas that are not being cared for, or private property. see Guerrilla gardening - Wikipedia