Nepeta is a real work horse in my garden, blooming months during the Summer and Fall with practically no care. I have it nestled amongst many of my perennials and shrubs filling in with its soft fragrant gray green foliage and beautiful lavender blue flowers. The Nepeta I grow is Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) which is sterile and is not to be confused with Catnip (Nepeta cataria) which send cats into a crazed frenzy and can reseed. Catmint is easy to maintain in full sun and if it gets a little leggy can be sheered to the ground. This also keeps it compact and encourages re blooming. As with many members of the mint family (Lamiaceae) it has square stems and opposite leaf formation.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
NEPETA
Nepeta is a real work horse in my garden, blooming months during the Summer and Fall with practically no care. I have it nestled amongst many of my perennials and shrubs filling in with its soft fragrant gray green foliage and beautiful lavender blue flowers. The Nepeta I grow is Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) which is sterile and is not to be confused with Catnip (Nepeta cataria) which send cats into a crazed frenzy and can reseed. Catmint is easy to maintain in full sun and if it gets a little leggy can be sheered to the ground. This also keeps it compact and encourages re blooming. As with many members of the mint family (Lamiaceae) it has square stems and opposite leaf formation.
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4 comments:
Ah, one of my favorites too, Bob! A workhouse indeed. It's the first thing to bloom in my garden and keeps it up all summer and fall. Sometimes I forget to shear it back to encourage new blooms, but even when I'm a laggard, it's not. Lovely photo.
Thanks for sharing Bob. I have heard of catmint but have not added it to our garden. Will be on the look out for it.
Cliff, In my area the deer don't seem to bother it. Plus it very hardy and low water once established.
BOB
Lostroses, this would be a great plant with shrub roses or david austins. It works real well with the english garden look as well as the cottage garden look.
Always glad to hear from you.
BOB
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