Good Companion Plants for Catmint

 At this time, I’ve planted over 100 different types of plants in my Zone 6 garden!  As different plants start to thrive, I’ll highlight them here ~ & one of the best performers I’ve got right now, in spite of a wet spring here in Bend, Oregon: is the fast-growing catmint, also called Walker’s Low.  You see this plant all over town, & landscapers love it: because it’s reliable & easy-to-grow, with pretty purple flowers.  It’s also a long-bloomer, showing off from mid-spring thru the end of fall.  And it’s drought-tolerant!  Here, we’ll discover some “Good Companion Plants for Catmint,” that provide a great backdrop for this purple stunner.

The tall spires of foxgloves & beautiful pink roses make wonderful companion plants for the easy-to-grow catmint, also called Walker’s Low.

Quick Overview of Catmint

•  Common/Other Names for Catmint: Nepeta, Walker’s Low, or “Baby Blue”
• Hardiness Zones: 4-8
• Is Catmint an Annual or Perennial? Perennial. These babies will keep coming back ~ & they get stronger & more drought-tolerant year after year.
• Growth Rate: FAST
• Mature Size: 1-2 feet tall, 1-3 feet wide
• Preferred Sun Exposure: Full sun is where they’ll perform best; I have some planted in partial shade & they don’t get as big
• Bloom Time: Spring, summer, & in some climates (like my Zone 6) thru fall
• Easy to Grow? SO EASY. Catmints thrive on neglect ~ so even beginning gardeners should be fine with them. I’ve planted over 8 catmints all over my garden, in various sun exposures…I never fertilize them, & they’re ALL doing well.
• Fertilize or Not? NO. Not necessary.
• How Much Water Do Catmints Need? After the first year, water minimally; they prefer drier conditions. Full sun & very little after the first year will actually make them stronger.

Catmint thrive on NEGLECT, & they need very little water once established: perfect for beginning gardeners!! This plant is hard to kill…

Examples of Companion Plants for Catmint

 When you’re thinking of great companion plants for Walker’s Low, think of all the colors that look best next to purple: hot pink, light pink, white, other purple plants, blue (like soaring delphiniums), orange, & yellow (such as the easy-to-grow forsythia).  Colors that don’t look good next to purple, in my opinion, are anything RED: it’s just not a great pairing.  You can also place leafy shrubs or climbing vines around your catmint, to great a sea of green around the purple. 

Great Plant Pairings with Catmint:

• Pink roses, white, blush, orange, or yellow roses;
• Beautiful climbing roses;
• Hot pink dianthus (though note that because it’s a low plant, it might eventually get overshadowed by the catmint);
• Tall flowering plants like foxgloves & delphiniums, gorgeous peonies, or even show-stopping dahlias;
• Tall native grasses, such as popular Karl Foerster, or other ornamental grasses offer an ethereal backdrop to the grounded Nepeta/catmint;
• Tall yellow shrubs like the easy-to-grow “Lynwood Gold” Forsythia;
• Colorful annuals like snapdragons (whose pastel color palette goes perfectly with purple), vibrant daisies, violas, pansies, or zinnia ~ just plant the annuals far enough away from the catmint so they don’t get crowded out (catmint’s tend to S-P-R-E-A-D O-U-T);
• Catmints attract bees & all kinds of wildlife: consider placing them next to fruit trees or your veggie garden in order for pollinators to spread love to your “Edible Garden;”

Place catmint in the foreground, with tall, native grasses (like Karl Foerster) swaying gently behind it…

Here, we see purple salvia mixed with catmint peeking thru ethereal ornamental grasses…

If you love cottage gardens, consider pairing your Walker’s Low with climbing roses…

Orange & purple look beautiful together ~ as do these hot pink dianthus next to purple catmint.

Pretty annuals like pastel-colored snapdragons are another great pairing for catmint…

Though most people think of salvia as being purple ~ there are white varieties that look STUNNING next to catmint.

Great Companion Plants for Catmint

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