Lavender is frequently hailed as one of the most low-maintenance plants you can add to your garden that adds both colour and gorgeous fragrance. But what if I told you that there was an even lower-maintenance alternative that doesn’t go woody either?
While I’m not saying you shouldn’t learn to grow lavender, I am saying that nepeta (commonly known as catmint) has a longer flowering period and is more forgiving of winter weather. You don’t have to worry about it going woody either.
If you’ve been looking for climate-resilient planting ideas in light of this summer’s heat, lavender is a great choice and a hallmark of Mediterranean planting ideas. But nepeta is an even better option. Here’s why.
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Honestly, I’ve had lavender on my list of favourite garden plants for a long time. It’s brilliant at attracting pollinators to your garden and makes your patio smell gorgeous. However, if you don’t give it a decent cut in July or August, lavender can go woody. Unfortunately, this low-maintenance plant does require a little more TLC than you might think.
‘Lavender is an evergreen plant and needs a really good cut in July / August to keep it from going woody – often this is missed out, and lots of ugly woody growth is the result. Nepeta is a perennial which dies back completely at the end of the year, forming new growth in spring. It benefits from a hard cut back after flowering to get a fresh second growth of vivid flowers,’ Claire Mitchell, founder of The Garden Editor, explains.
As nepeta is a perennial, it grows back every year without woody growth, so if woody lavender has been something you’ve struggled with, it can be a more suitable alternative. Plus, nepeta has a larger blooming period, adding colour to your garden for longer.
‘I would always favour nepeta over lavender as it adds colour to my garden for much longer, usually from June to September, whereas Lavender only flowers in July to August,’ says Lucie Bradley, gardens and greenhouse expert at Easy Gardens Irrigation.
‘Compared to lavender, nepeta is a much hardier plant as it can tolerate different types of soil, even coping in heavier clay soils if you improve the drainage, whereas lavender needs loose, dry and fast-draining soil and its roots will rot in clay soil.
‘In terms of weather, nepeta is also more resilient than lavender to the changeable UK climate. Whilst both can handle dry, summer weather, when there are wet, cold and freezing temperatures, nepeta can also survive. As a perennial, it overwinters underground and will reliably start to regrow in spring, whereas lavender will struggle with wet, freezing temperatures, which can split stems and kill older wood.’
Should you choose nepeta for your garden
If the draw of nepeta being a low-maintenance alternative to lavender isn’t enough, it also offers many similar benefits to lavender. Nepeta is also beloved by pollinators and is even a great plant for deterring mosquitoes. It’s also incredibly fast-growing, making it great for filling sparse beds and borders and even repressing weeds. And while nepeta isn’t as strong-smelling as lavender, it does have its own distinct scent.
‘It’s not as strong a scent as lavender but still has a fresh floral scent, making it ideal to include in a scented bouquet. The common name is catmint as lots of cats adore its smell. If you want to avoid your precious plants being rolled in by the neighbourhood moggy, opt for the grandiflora types – their volatile oil compounds are not so attractive to them,’ says Claire.
Once established, Lucie also points out that nepeta is incredibly drought-tolerant, so you don’t have to worry about watering it too often either.
If you’ve been struggling with your lavender shrub, nepeta is a brilliant alternative. Not only does it look just as pretty, but it’s tougher, easier to care for and flowers for longer.
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