Several years ago, some kind soul gave old Pa Pitt a bouquet of pussy-willow twigs, which are a traditional Palm Sunday decoration in climates where palms are unknown. Willow twigs will root in water, and since it seemed unkind to toss out a growing plant, Father Pitt planted them in a big pot and left them on the front steps. Since then they have reliably produced their catkins every spring, and then they leaf out and form an attractive portable shrub. Here are catkins in various stages of development, from little furry kittens to starbursts of stamens.