Cats pagamas for a compact and deep purple color and walkers junior for the longer bloom.

Any that my cats don’t devastate in a week🙄

I've been so pleased with Walker's Low that I haven't tried any others. I'll be watching this thread with interest.

@mazerolm_3a , that is so lovely!! What is the sedum planted as a border in front of Dropmore?

I don’t have much to offer in regard to favorite catmints as this is my first year with one, Cat’s Meow. Watching this thread with interest also!

@lovemycorgi z5b SE michigan: thanks! that’s my favorite sedum, Firecracker.

I have two varieties, Walkers Low and Summer Magic.

Walkers Low is bigger, has a more spectacular peak bloom, but flops bad after it rains and it never reblooms for me after the initial bloom in May/June, so it's pretty dull for most the year.

Summer Magic is shorter than Walkers Low, but taller than other catmints, gets around 20" tall. It doesn't flop which is nice and it's reblooms sporadically after cutting it back. The main bloom isn't as spectacular as Walkers Low though.

Both are bee magnets!

First is Walkers Low, second is Summer Magic (surrounding the astilbe).

All great info on catmint aka Nepeta- nothing like hearing real gardeners own personal experiences.

I bought Cat's Pajama's last year, so it's in it's second year (my 5 cats just ingnore it which is fine with me) and I just moved it to pots so it can get better sun..seems to be improving already.

But- it sure doesn't look anything like the photos on websites or magazines for sale!

In what way is it not like the photos, Sue? Is the color not as deep, are the blooms not all along the stems? I've been hoping to find a Cat's Pajamas locally . I bought Purrsian Blue and Souvenir d'Andre Chaudon this spring but can't comment much yet. Walker's Low seems like a good one.

Another vote for Dropmore nepeta! I absolutely love this variety and it was developed in Canada

nepeta "Joanna Reed" gets 4 stars from the chicago botanic garden. I like it because it is compact and a good purple. Doesn't seed around so much.

It is listed at Digging Dog Nursery, if you want to order it when it's back in stock.

The Chicago Botanic Garden has trial report comparing many varieties.

Sue I am surprised about your cats pagamas, this is my second year with 8 of them and I was surprised they looked just like photos online. Usually I assume plants will never look as good as the ones online but I was very happy with mine that are also in the second year. Now after they bloomed once they look lighter in color and not as many blooms but that was expected.

Zone 7b NC…..Really love Walkers Low, though not a great rebloomer for me either ….but the foliage (color) and form (wispy) are attractive so sorta makes up for the lack of blooms later in the season.

I have 'Kitten Around', 'Cats Pajamas', 'Purrsian Blue' and just picked up a few 'Whispurr Blue', the latter sure has large blooms! The positive comments regarding Dropmore' makes me want to get my hands on a few!

@FrozeBudd_z3/4: which one is your favorite out of these 4? fyi: if you’re interested in Dropmore, Canadian Tire has been selling it for the past 2 years.

I have one I bought quite a few years ago but I can't remember the name, but it might be Walker's Low based on where I bought it and the fact they tend to carry popular items. I've divided it and took it from my other house, never missed a beat. Another one I really like that is rarely mentioned is Siberian catmint - Nepeta Siberica. It's an upright variety and semi-tall. Mine's a little floppy, I think it needs a sunnier spot, but I like the upright form for something different, and the hummingbirds enjoy it.

Mazerolm, yet too early to tell with several being new to me, 'Kitten Around' I've had longer, a nice compact plant, 'Cat's Pajamas' blooms very early ever before many other perennials are doing much of anything, but seems to keep going well with good soil and moisture. Again, the 'Whispurr Blue' has those remarkably large blooms and apparently grows into a more substantial specimen which would be welcome in my landscape. 'Purrsian Blue', is the one I can't yet comment on. I still might check out Canadian Tire this summer, they have the largest nursery lot in Canada 40 mins from me, a bit of a drive, but I'll call ahead to check on availability of a few things.

erasmus_gw and beesandblues88 you were both wondering about me saying that my "Cat's Pajama's didn't look like the photos I've seen. Maybe they didn't get enough sun? I had other perennials that were ok in this amount of sun (Delphiniums, Phlox Blue Paradise, Stoksia Bluestone, Bearded Iris)

I just moved all three of them into a pot about 2 weeks ago to the most sunny & hottest part of my garden, and they do seem to be filling out more, but look nothing like the photos online. I was even wondering if they sent me the wrong ones?!

My photos (below) for you to see...tell me if you think they are actually Cat's Pajama's?

This is what they looked like last year and this year.

(in the middle of the pot is a young caryopteris but the 3 plants under it are Cat's Pajama's Nepeta)

The photo below is what I thought I'd get...is this what yours look like?

Do you think I was sent the right Nepeta?

Please share photos and advice!

My 'Cat's Pajamas' look exactly like yours. Sue. Sparce, insipid blooms. It's been growing in full sun for 2 years.

Jays

jays_gw thanks for sharing your similar experience (as mine) about your "Cat's Pajama's Nepeta" with me and others here.

I'm thinking if I ever give any more Nepeta a try I will make sure to go with the favorites of of some of the ones people like on this thread.

LOL..."insipid blooms' good description! At least the bees like them.

'Cat's Pajamas' is doing very well, photo makes it appear more diminutive than what it is, though do wish it was a tad taller, where it really excels is very GOOD bloom coverage and especially seems to appreciate this years cool moist conditions, I'm tucking the plant all over the place!

'Whispurr Blue' is a robust thing, needs proper placement, blooms will be fuller next year am sure.

I, too, am very happy with Cat’s Pajamas (mine look like yours, FrozeBudd), and have purchased several more to add to my gardens. I’ve also replaced my Cat’s Meow nepeta with it, as I was disappointed with Cat’s Meow’s poor bloom quantity and quality.

Very interesting thread. Thanks all for the tips. I just got Cat's Meow from the Lowe's markdown but it sounds like some of these others would be nice to have for comparison!

'Purrsian Blue' is coming on nicely, though most catmint photos I take don't give justice to the plants. Today, I got with taking all sorts of cuttings. I carefully scratch a bit around the base of the plants and pull and separate away outer stems that have already taken root, some stems have layered themselves to give extra sturdy rooted cuttings, I got 40 in all! Tomorrow, I head into the city and hope to come across 'Dropmore'.

Popmama, yes, comparisons are fun to help select a superior variety above others.

And the winner is 'Whispurr Blue', it's much beefier than photo has it appear, this is one I wouldn't be going and doing any much soil amending making things all too fertile, plants might then splay apart. Of my several other varieties, can't say there's a dud in the lot, 'Purrsian Blue', 'Kitten Around', both have performed very well and 'Cat's Pajamas' is gearing up for another bloom cycle, great plants, ALL of them !! :)

I'm still loving the Siberian catmint - Nepeta Siberica.

Ohhh, never even had known about that one, really like the height of Nepeta Sibirica !!

Just coming back to this. ' Whispurr Blue' apparently and unfortunately appears to want to be short lived for me, some plants outright dead and others weak with only bits coming here and there ... disappointing, I really like this plant! 'Cat's Pajamas' is almost too early flowering, haven't even yet set out the bedding plants and it's hitting its stride, not a bad thing I guess for the bees. 'Purrsian Blue' I'll use more extensively for it's beefier build, today I lifted my two plants and divided extensively for 12 plants total, should have done so weeks ago cause these are gonna wilt down and need to be covered and protected from the sun until they revive, or maybe I'll just cut them back.

Has anyone heard about this new variety from Proven Winners, « Chartreuse on the Loose »? I saw it in a YouTube video and was amazed at how great it looked!

Here’s the link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i8aVcnCKQGU

Fast-forward to 47:40

does anyone have experience with walkers deep blue variety. Im looking for a strong blue color, rebloom and doesn't flop after big rains. Who is a good source of seeds

I don't love nepetas (the smell!) but I do grow a few because they do so well for me. I have no idea about the cultivar names (labels long lost) and I mostly look at the species.type..and also definitely prefer the upright growers such as n.nuda, sibirica, grandiflora. I have a new one this year which is absolutely steaming out of the ground - have forgotten it's name but it is a nuda variety and I have long grown Blue Beauty (although I keep seeing it with some French name?). All mine tend to get a bit huge so I am steeling myself to pay attention to the latest varieties in the hope of discovering a smaller, mannerly, reblooming (or long blooming) and not so stinky variety - watching this thread, in fact.

I know it is a bit vacuous but I am definitely put off by cutesy puns and emphasis on cats.

I love catmint and don’t care about the name as long as there is as little flopping as possible

I ended up buying Nepeta "Cat's Pajamas" and it's gorgeous, has survived harsh winters grown in a pot and doesn't flop over! I have 3 plants in thi big pot.

Just popped in a grandiflora 'Dusk til Dawn'. I have a couple which are nothing like the usual blues including a rather tall 'Romany Dusk'. I vaguely recall growing a yellow one, ages ago (but memory might be sending me down the wrong road as it so often does). Calamint, teucrium, salvia and nepeta are excellent plants for my dry and sunny conditions.

Nice planting, Sue. I am very interested in these smaller nepetas (after years of 6 Hills Giant and Walkers Low taking up heaps of space with iffy rebloom).

Yes, Mxk3, I also really like the sibiricas.

eta - repeating myself now (must be an age thing)

I also got cats pajamas…stays nice and full and as stated above…no flopping. And it’s a nice deep blue.

I have it here next to candy corn spirea (not planted yet…have to move some things around) and in another place near Golden Ruby Barberry. I’m definitely getting some more of this cultivar.

Nidnay, looks great paired with the spirea and sprinkled all about there! I have 15 plants, though easily could have many times that dotted throughout the landscape and really should search out some of the tall graceful types mentioned of :)

How man years do the mounding types mange before declining and requiring division?

I’ve only had Cats Pajamas in for two years, so can’t speak to that, but my all my Walkers Low (I have a bunch) have been in the ground for over 4 years and at this point don’t need dividing.

Good to know, this spring my 'Kitten Around' looked as if it was tuckering out after four years, but all plants are now going strong.

Love your garden Nidnay and your Nepeta looks healthy and fabous...thinking mine would do better in the ground, than in a pot but I have limited sun, but I ought to plant some in the ground too! Feeling inspired seeing your photos!

Over the weekend, I found Neptune at Lowe's. It's beautiful with the larger purple blossoms. I hope it stays that way! Will let you know how it does!

@popmama (Colorado, USDA z5), yes, please report back with Neptune’s progress! I’ve seen Neptune multiple times, but the size of the plant in the nursery container already exceeded the listed height on the tag, so I was nervous i’d end up with too large a plant for my needs. Very curious to see an established one in the landscape!

Will do. I think I will put it in my new xeric bed. I already have two Little Trudy there and a NOID (that was labeled Little Trudy when I bought it, but clearly it is not!).

I planted Nepeta x Faassenii ‘Blue Wonder’ 20 years ago. I've never watered it (except when everything was being watered due to prolonged drought), never deadheaded it, never divided it and it just keeps going. Here are a few pics from this year.

Amazing that 'Blue Wonder' has had such sustained staying power! :)