A Gardening Question
 

This is a really specific question so I realize it is a long shot to ask it, but I thought I would try anyway.

I am getting ready to do some landscaping here in our Ohio yard. I have been doing a little homework. I like an English cottage garden look, but I want it heavy on purple, pink, and white. A little yellow can be tucked in here and there. (Yellow makes pink pinker, you know. And pink returns the favor.) I do not want plants that are going to make demands on me. My plants need to tolerate hot, humid summers, resist deer, and give me a decent bloom time. I like them to be a little wild-looking, a little splashy. So anyway, I am working on it. It is getting to be almost time to start digging.

A plant guy suggested Walker's Low Nepeta. It does look like something that will do what I want it to do. It was the 2007 Perennial of the Year. That's usually a good sign. It was not Miss Congeniality. It was the winner.

But here's the problem. This plant with this fancy name is called catmint, too. The guy who told me about it has it in his own yard and really likes it. He swore to me that it does not attract all the neighborhood cats to roll around, feeling groovy in the flowerbeds. (Wait! Wait! I have nothing against cats. I just do not want to do all this work and find that I have created a feline version of Woodstock.)

This plant works in Zones 3-8 so I thought there might be a chance that somebody reading this has it in the yard and can tell me if it attracts cats. Some of the offical looking press on the plant says that it does not. But then I found some other stuff that made me think well, maybe. Does anybody out there have it?

Here's a link that tells you all the other stuff about Walker's Low Nepeta.

http://www.flower-gardening-made-eas...-the-year.html

Thanks.

Boomer

Last year my neighbor & I did a mixed hedge that was heavy on purple.
I know we had 3 types lavender and Russian Sage, and I think we had catmint. The hedge looked lovely, dried the lavender and made sachets,
(had a Martha Moment) and the honey bees loved it.
Didn't notice any of the neighborhood cats doing Hendrix imitations.
Hedge was on Long Island, similar zones.

Thanks Whalen,

I really do want to use this one. I will be using Russian Sage, too.

Purple Hedge Hendrix Cats "Purple Haze" (Well, just in case, I won't be putting any outside speakers in those flowerbeds. That's for sure.)

Boomer

Whalen,

Do you remember how much bloom time you got out of it? I will gladly prune the heck out of a plant if it means more blooms.

Thanks.

Boomer

Catmint
 

Hi Boomer,

We had it in our garden in Connecticut. It was almost maintenance free, bloomed from June through early October and did not attract cats... even when our Mademoiselle Claudie was in the window. As those who know her will attest, MC (who is French and also known as Lady Marmalade) is a feline of uncommon attractiveness.

The almost part of maintenance free is that it will spread and can be separated and planted in bare areas.

Kate

This is such good news. It looks like my kind of plant. Sounds like a decent length for the bloom time. And the part about dividing it is OK, too.

I divide stuff and give it to anybody who wants it. But my last house, which had a really big yard, started to look like a daylily farm and I could not get them all divided. So the rule was that anybody who wanted to dig 'em could have 'em. And those plants went forth and multiplied some more. And then I moved and I swore that I would never plant anything close together again. I was in my "instant gratification" gardening phase when I did the daylily thing.

I understand that this plant spreads but does not become invasive like some called mint do. It must do a lot of things right to have won the prize for perennials. But I was pretty concerned about the possiblity of the neighborhood cats having a love-in or something. Glad to hear it is not a problem. My geriatric dog would probably get a new lease on life though.

I wonder if catmint shows up in Florida, too, considering that it tolerates heat so well.

I have an ornamental grass named Carly Rose (might be Karly) -- anyway the bloom lasts for a really long time during the same period it looks like. It is not a huge ornamental grass but not a tiny one either. Something tells me those pink plumes would look really good backing up the purple Nepeta. (I sure wish the weather would get warm around here. I am so ready to dig.)....and then throw a big splash of limelight hydrangea in with its bright green blooms and all that pink and purple and step back!!! (I am so ready for Spring.)

Boomer

Hi Barb,

You are so right about those forsythia. One of the first things to bloom around here and I am always happy to see them. This winter has been particularly dreary and cold.

I had a Korean lilac bush and it was pretty. Well, pretty most years. But every once in a while that whole blooms on old wood or blooms on new wood thing would escape me and I would prune it at the wrong time of year. The poor thing would have to spend a barren, boring season because I went crazy with the Felco 2 pruners before I remembered not to.

Boomer

Guess we planted at the right time, didn't have to prune at all, purple all summer into fall.
And did I tell you how the honey bees just loved our hedge?

The attached link is a discussion among gardeners about Walker's Low Nepeta. They all agree it is a wonderful plant, but several do find that the cat heads for it, given a chance - June

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/...556499.html?29

Thanks for the link. This sounds like a great plant, and I really want to use it, but I think I will start with a bed that is a distance from the house. That way I can see the color splash but maybe not see the smashed parts if a cat comes along and tries to get groovy.

It looks like many people do not have the problem, but there are a few it seems. That one person in the link said there was a cat with a glazed look in its eyes. I guess it just depends on the cats in the 'hood.

I had not seen any cats at all around the neighborhood. Not a cat anywhere in sight. No evidence of a cat. Until today. Really. Today. Just today, for the first time. I saw evidence of a cat. I saw some little footprints across my hot tub cover. And you know what? Those little footprints gave me paws for thought.

Here's why:

I used to write these TOTV posts from my kitchen. But now my computer is in a room that is nearly all windows. Windows to the left of me. Windows to the right of me. Windows in front of me. AND......you got it. Windows behind me.

So now I am wondering, in fact I am beginning to think it must be so, considering those cat footprints, on the hot tub cover, on that hot tub that is out there BEHIND ME!!!! Do you think that looking in that window, that window behind me, reading through that window, over my shoulder, reading about my big plans to plant Walker's Low Nepeta, aka CATMINT.....Do you think there could have been, ohhhhh, nooooo, a peeping tomcat?? A PEEPING TOMCAT!!!

Boomer

Ohhh noooooooo..... maybe cat mint is not the answer meow meow meow

(that is my Tom cat - Tommy - saying Boomer, you are a hoot!)

O my Boom, and it's not even after midnight and it sounds like you're starting to ...meow meow meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooooooow

Well, I did not see that peeping tomcat looking in my windows today. And I did not see his footprints either. But it was raining most of the day so he was likely somewhere warm and dry. I will not be lulling myself into a false sense of security anytime soon.

I really appreciate all the help with this big decision. I will have catmint somewhere in my yard I know. Maybe not close to the patio, but somewhere out there it will be.

While we are in here hanging out in this gardening thread, I wanted to pass along a link to an absolutely wonderful gardening site that I think you might like, too. Here it is:

http://www.provenwinners.com/

Boomer

Yet another gardening question
 

It is the time of year when the Ohio Valley comes to life -- finally. It is the time of year that makes me remember that when I finally do get myself out of here in winter, I must make sure to return by April. And to make my exciting life here at Boomer Base even more exciting, my brand new pair of Felco2 pruners arrived last week.

If you are a gardener (and you probably are or you would not be reading this thread) you know that gardening time is too precious to use cheap tools. And that is why I just spent a chunk of change ($54.95) on my brand new pair of Felco2 pruners.

My first pair of Felco2 pruners is probably at least 15 years old. It seems like somewhere along the line, I was able to replace the blades in those. But this time nobody knew what I was talking about. (That happens to me sometimes.) One person suggested sharpening the blades but said they really were not sure how well that would work. The blades are curved.

I could not find a new pair of Felco2's locally so I bought from Gardener's Supply in VT. I even ordered the little holster. ($11.95) Such excitement.

But even though the new ones are here now, I keep wondering if those blades in the old pair can be sharpened or maybe even replaced, and so I thought somebody out there in TOTVland might know.

About those favorite gardening tools of mine, I usually am armed with only two. The Felco2's, of course, and the other thing is from Smith and Hawken. I have had one of these for years, too. It has a short wooden handle and a thick, broad, tough, serrated blade. I weed with it. I dig holes for planting with it. Heck, I could even chase somebody around with it and scare them a lot.

I think this knife was called the Farmer's knife when I bought it last time. I once bought some of these knives to give as gifts to gardening friends. I did not wrap them. I just tied a pretty bow around the handle. A wicked looking thing with a pretty bow. Kind of an oxymoron I guess. And a good conversation piece when presented.

I looked for this knife in the catalog again lately and found that somewhere along the line its name has been changed. It is now called the "Japanese Hori Hori knife."

Well, I have no idea what "Hori Hori" means, but for my fellow gardeners out there, I highly recommend this thing. It is tough. It lasts forever. And it is the best weeder you will ever have. Hey! Maybe the name means that this thing is so tough that you can Hori Hori through the weeding part of your gardening.

Happy Gardening

Boomer

Boomer: I understand the bond with your Felco pruners. Several years ago I also treated myself to a pair (after initially walking away due to price shock!). What a great gift!

Frostproof, here in Frostproof, Florida, has replacement parts available for the Felco2. I ordered from them about 7 years ago when I was still an Ohio buckeye and received my order very promptly and well packaged. I wouldn't hesitate to order from them again (disclaimer: no connection).

http://www.frostproof.com/catalog/hf-2parts.htm

June

Hi Juneroses,

Thank you for the link. Even though I replaced the old pair of Felco2's because I gave up on finding blades and figured sharpening would not work and my Knockout roses were getting away from me, I am going to order these blades for the old pair, now that I know where to find them. I can pretend that Mr. Boomer will use the backup pair, pruning along with me.

But I have to tell you that Mr. Boomer is not into the gardening stuff. If only I could convince him that the Felco2 is a power tool. I do have him convinced that the food processor is a power tool and so he likes to use that, but I don't think I can pull that power tool thing off for the Felco2's.

But I am going to get those blades anyway. You just never know. And if I got another holster, I could have one on each side and look like some kind of gardening Annie Oakley maybe. (Hey! I think Annie Oakley was a Buckeye, too.)

Here is a link to that Hori Hori knife from Smith and Hawken that I paid homage to in my last post. This is the one I like to give as a gift with just a bow around the handle. I have not bought one for a while, but if this one is as sturdy and tough as the one I have, gardeners will love it.

http://outdoor-furniture.smithandhaw...nd&isort=title

Yesterday was glorious here, but today it rained all day. So here I found myself typing away about gardening tools. Can you tell I have Spring Fever? A serious case of it.

Boomer

Good Morning...
 

I so enjoy reading your posts Boomer, and so glad to see a Gardening Site. I, like you have spring fever big time! I live on top of a mountain, so eventho we have had a few nice days and I grab my pruners and gloves to go play in the dirt, I get out there and its too windy, which makes the temp drop brrr. I have an English Cottage Garden too! My son and I call it my Secret Garden, where I like to go out to sit and chill after a long day. After reading your posts of the colors you are going to have I thought I would suggest my favorite! You may already know of it, apparently its so popular it sells out very quickly. Its Burgundy Glow Ajuga, its a ground cover that has the most adorable purple, pink and cream colored flowers, all blended together. I was so thrilled when I first bought it, that I went to get more but they were already sold out. I did get an email a few weeks back from Dutch Gardens advertising them in case you want to see a picture of them. I also shop from the Garden Supply Store in VT. I used to live near there about 10 years ago, a very friendly cute store. Happy Gardening!!
Jeanne Beannnie

This is not really a gardening question like the thread title says, but I am sticking this in here anyway because this thread is sort of like a group of gardeners out to lunch.

Anyway, just now, I was driving home listening to NPR in my car, as usual. Diane Rehm was interviewing an author who was talking about the history of English gardening. The archived link to listen was not up yet or I would have brought it here for you in case you would like to listen, too. I will check later. There were a couple of interruptions today because 'tis the season when the local NPR people must guilt us.

And JeanneBeannie, thanks for the groundcover suggestion. I will look into that one. I am big on groundcover. In fact, I consider investing in groundcover to be part of my retirement planning. I always feel like I am spending my life savings on all-bark mulch, year after year after year, so the more groundcover I can get going now, the less mulch I will need when I am really into my dotage.

Of course, you know how it goes with groundcover, like that thing gardeners always say about it. With groundcover, the first year it sleeps. The second year it creeps. The third year it leaps. The stuff is still worth it though. And sometimes I harvest vinca out of my friends' yards and bring it home. I really like groundcover. Thanks.

Boomer

update
 

--just a little update this morning on the purple stuff. The Walker's Low Nepeta, a.k.a, catmint, has been planted for a couple of weeks. And so far, no cats have shown up. But just now, I saw two gold finches make a visit. Sometimes around these parts, we call them wild canaries. I was happy to see them out there. They sure look pretty next to all that purple. And yesterday, I planted some new coreflowers for them. There are many new hybrids of coneflowers lately. Even green ones. Yesterday, I planted 3 Ruby Giant coneflowers. I hope the gold finches like them, too.

Boomer