I'm wondering if this would do with the iris since they are both ok for drier soils? But will the cat mint do anything to prevent the iris from growing well? I thought it would fill in nicely around them?

Try it and see (and report back to the rest of us).

I'd think that the catmint would sprawl a bit, though, so you need to plant it with that consideration in mind.

My Catmint took over the area I planted it in ... make sure to give it lots of room.

double post -- sorry

search for compact, less sprawling cultivars like "Little Trudy", "Little Titch", and "Kit Kat"
These are smaller growing varieties for space confined perennial beds and rock gardens.
Nepeta Little Trudy®

I didn't know there were smaller kinds, I will have to look for those.
This is the one I got, doesn't say the name (?)

If it's a generic doesn't-say plant, then I'd expect that it would not be a smaller cultivar. Plan(t) accordingly.

But such a deal.

"Oh, how I love to climb"


"Is someone calling my name?"


"Please don't scold me again!"

Sorry, I posted these on the wrong thread.

Does catmint attract cats? You might think twice about it.

Supposedly cats like catmint, too? http://www.marinij.com/article...

There's a saying about catnip, and maybe it applies to catmint also. From memory:

"If you set it, the cats will get it. If you sow it, the cat's won't know it."

Sounds like transplanting catmint or catnip might be a siren call to cats. Good luck!

I have some planted in a smaller mixed garden. Don't know the variety. It tends to be on the invasive side and the cats like it a little too much. Not sure I would want it in with my iris.

Snork said:I have some planted in a smaller mixed garden. Don't know the variety. It tends to be on the invasive side and the cats like it a little too much. Not sure I would want it in with my iris.

Pam ~ That's what I thought!

I already have a pile of cats unfortunately The neighbor won't take care of her cats, and they keep having more babies, and they think my garden is the jungle of heaven

Frilly ~ Sorry that your neighbors are so irresponsible!

Yes, they DO love to play in the garden. I could easily imagine a half-dozen kittens creating havoc!

I planted catmint (Nepeta) over ten years ago. I was reminded frequently that it is a member of the mint family. I was pulling it out for another handful of years trying to eliminate it. It seemed to do really well in my growing conditions and was difficult to clear it out. I did not care for the scent, either.

Would rather do lavenders. But I've not had good luck with them, and they should be easy in my area!

Consider ways of limiting catmint's spread if you decide to use it.

TBMan said:search for compact, less sprawling cultivars like "Little Trudy", "Little Titch", and "Kit Kat"
These are smaller growing varieties for space confined perennial beds and rock gardens.
Nepeta Little Trudy®

I think Timothy is right. I searched for these varieties all summer for this reason, but couldn't find them in my area. The guy at my local nursery talked me into getting the Waler's Low variety instead. It's only been in the ground a few weeks, but it is already trying to spread too much. One thing he told me though is that you can trim it way back multiple times in the growing season and it will recover very quickly and become a more dense flower-filled plant if you do. He said the ones I was getting had been trimmed back to just a couple inches above the ground 3-4 times this summer already.

I did not know about trimming it, thanks for the tip, I would not have done it. But I'll try that.
I love the smell of it actually and I am hoping my bees will like it (?)
I tried lavender several times and have no luck with it at all. It never returns after the winter.

I have one remaining English lavender plant, out of several initially. (The others all got old and woody and could not be resurrected.) I tried replanting and the new ones promptly died, so don't feel bad! Maybe it is the winter moisture doing yours in, but more likely they just aren't winter hardy in your zone. (I looked up one cultivar, and it had a minimum zone of 8b.)

The French (? Spanish) lavender, Lavandula stoechas does better here, and we have lots of volunteers. It too, though, is only hardy to 8b.

The Lavenders are nice for their flowers, but the foliage is imo somewhat mangy, and they all get woody and ugly as they age, and then you need to do something about that (brutally cut back and for new growth, or remove and start over).

You might try Campanula (blue-violet flowers, somewhat less sprawling than catmint, should be hardy in your zone).

I have had good luck with yellow corydalis as a filler with my iris. They self-sow where happy, and are shallow rooted so don't interfere with the iris. Most of my iris are purple so the yellow is a good foil.