12 January 2025
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Beloved by Beth Chatto, her team explains how to grow the perfect plant for an ever-changing early summer scene
I love this extract from Beth’sDrought - resistive Gardenbookdescribing the footstep of growth at this time of year- ‘ Unlike a house painting , a garden perpetually changes , is never the same , from one day , even from one hour to the next , especially in former summer when mass of plant life are thrust towards the illumination … ’
A favourite flora adding to this fast moving time of year is nepeta , include in this issue by the garden team who would n’t be without it !
Julia x
Nepeta , also known as catmint , is an invaluable group of plants grown throughout our Gravel Garden and other areas offering full Sunday and a free - draining filth . Their silver medal - greenish leaves can ply a contrast to darker leaved industrial plant like genus Cistus , dictamnus and agapanthus . Many make attractive rounded hummocks of redolent foliage , perfect spilling over the edge of a border . Taller forms , such asN. sibiricaandN. ‘ Blue Dragon ’ , are uncommitted with fountains of blossom which last for week .
Flowers are unremarkably blue or white , but stretching to purple , yellow and pinkish . There are many forms available to the gardener , plus there are 250 or so species across Europe and Asia . Full sun is their preferred post , but some are fine in light shadiness , particularlyN. govaniana .
How to wish for genus Nepeta
Nepta ‘Chettle Blue’
To neaten the clumps and to promote a second flush of flowers , a gruelling cut back after the first blossom have wither is needed .
Leave this second boot of foliage in place over winter , waiting until February to thin out down to the ground , making way for the new season ’s fresh growth .
Good for pollinators great and lowly
Before cutting back
All genus Nepeta coinage are a valuable reservoir of nectar and pollen to a range of pollinators over an lengthy summer time of year . Those with larger flowers can accommodate bumblebee , while those with dinky salad days support smaller bees and other insects . They are also larval food for thought plants for the small , very attractive , mint moth , along with a range of other moth caterpillar .
Our nepeta works are propagated by soft Mrs. Henry Wood cuttings take from immature theme either in leaping , or from the unused growth create after the summertime cut back . There is no want to cutNepeta nudaand its cultivars after flowering as they will not reflower .
How to cook to take soft Mrs. Henry Wood cuttings
After cutting back, the nepeta is now ready to plant out
Some of our favourite Nepeta include :
N. racemosa‘Walker ’s Low ’
This produces tenacious flowering halt above crinkly hoar - green farewell . drab bud and halt sum up to the rich effect of firm dismal flowers . Height and spread : 75 cm x 50 cm
Trays of cuttings now ready
N. ‘ Chettle Amytal ’
Strong bushy habit with intense blue flower , greatly raise by the rosy - purple colour of the calyces . Height and spread : 90 centimetre x 50 centimetre
N. ‘ Six Hill ’s Giant ’
N. racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’
Although larger than the well known catmint , this form is equally useful and said to be hardy in cold areas . Large sprays of lavender - blue flowers in June 21 . acme and spread out : 1 m x 70 atomic number 96
N. racemosa‘Amelia ’
Silver - green leaves and spikes of soft pink efflorescence . A pretty industrial plant that grows into a nice bowed hammock . Height and circulate : 60 cm x 60 cm
‘Six Hill’s Giant’
you could come up out more about these world - illustrious gardenswww.bethchatto.co.ukand genus Nepeta vary here
N. racemosa ‘Amelia’
