Catmint ‘Walker’s Blue’

Catmint 'Walker's Blue' (Nepeta x faassenii 'Walker's Blue') keeps flowering long after the rest of the border gives up. It settles at about 60cm tall and 80cm wide, carrying spikes of soft purple blue flower from spring into autumn. The grey green foliage is aromatic, so brushing past it releases a faint minty scent.

Why you'll love it

• Months of flower, not weeks. A light shear after the first flush brings on a strong second one.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, heat tolerant and content in poor soil, so it holds a hot verge that defeats most perennials.
• Bees and butterflies work it all day. Few plants this size feed as many pollinators, which counts if you grow vegetables nearby.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs, though cats are drawn to the scent and will flatten a plant by rolling on it.
• One job a year. Cut it back hard in late winter and it rebuilds itself. No staking, no spraying, no feeding schedule.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 50cm apart for a continuous flowering border. At that spacing the plants meet and spill over a path edge, and the grey foliage softens hard paving.

Mass planting and rockeries. Sweep it through a dry sunny bank at 50cm centres. Gravel gardens suit it, because the sharp drainage is exactly what it wants.

Pots and small gardens. One plant fills a 400mm pot on a sunny balcony. In a courtyard, three along a step give the effect of a whole border.

Growing catmint in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun all day drives the flowering. This is a plant for cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens. Humidity is its weakness, so in tropical and subtropical areas the crown often rots through a wet summer unless the bed is raised and sharply drained.

Soil. Drainage matters more than fertility, and gravelly or sandy ground is ideal. On clay, plant on a raised mound with grit worked through and keep mulch thin and clear of the crown.

Water and feed. Water twice a week for six weeks, then let the soil dry between drinks. Established plants get by on rain. Go easy on fertiliser, since rich soil makes soft growth that opens up and flops.

Pruning. Shear spent flowers back by a third once the first flush fades, then cut the whole plant to about 10cm in late winter before new shoots appear.

What to expect when it arrives

Catmint is grown here as tube stock and in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Tubes are small, usually a single crown with a few shoots, and are the sensible choice for a long border. The 140mm packs are a season ahead and flower in their first summer.

Perennials travel well, though the foliage often looks tired for a week. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Trim anything broken, water in well, and expect fresh growth within two to three weeks in warm weather. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Perennials for an Australian cottage garden
• Low growing plant ideas for borders
• Browse bee and butterfly plants
• Compare plants that are safe around pets

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Fifty centimetres apart gives a continuous border, since each plant spreads to about 80cm and the edges knit together. For a looser drift through a rockery, stretch it to 70cm.

Will it grow in a humid subtropical garden?

Not reliably. Catmint belongs in cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean climates, and wet summers rot the crown. Further north, use a raised bed with sharp drainage and treat it as a short lived plant.

Do cats really go for it?

Some do. This is a close relative of true catnip, so plants within reach can get rolled on. It is not toxic to them, and a flattened plant recovers quickly.