Crazy for Cattails (Typha)

We were driving along when, as he pointed to the side of the road, Rob asked me, "Have you ever lit cattails to keeps bugs away?" 

Am I the only person who has never heard those gorgeous growths of nature referred to as "cattails?"  Used as a bug repellent?  Huh?  This was all new news to me.  As Rob pointed to the cattails all I could think about was how cool they were- I was so intrigued!

I know what you're thinking...of course I've seen cattails before.  It's just that I guess I sort of forgot about them.  I must have unconciously stopped paying attention to them in my surroundings.

A week after the cattail sighting Rob came home from work carrying about 20 in his arms.  I laugh out loud every time I imagine him on the side of the busy road cutting cattails in a suit and tie with a plastic knife left over from his lunch eaten in the car.  Come on- you know that's funny!

I was watering my flowers last night and I noticed the cattails on top of the grill. Rob put them there to dry out before they can be lit.  At that moment I had this crazy idea...cattails in the garden?  Hmmmm.  And just like that I placed Typhas into a vase and set them in the garden.

Typha is versitile, serving as a bug repellent and garden decor, and that makes me crazy for cattails!