I bought Walker's Low from Santa Rosa last year, a small plant in a 4" pot. This is it now. It's massive!



Karen

I plant mine under rose bushes. It grows out from under them and looks so good. I think it works best as a companion plant.

Looks good as specimen too!
High Country Gardens says this, ' Shear it back after the first flush of flowers in late spring and it will come back into bloom later in the summer. '

I'm going to try that this year with mine. Good to know.

You can cut nepeta back even before it blooms. But I normally weed wack it after bloom, taking about 2/3 off, leaving the cuttings on the ground, which makes a mulch for the plant.

I really like it, I will buy one or two next year and try that shearing thing. I did that with the Coreopsis last year, works for those also.

Susan they are really easy to divide and plant all over your garden...
Reminder to myself to cut mine back

Yes, and I hear they grow fast. I will probably just get one and divided it later.

A little late but, here is mine in bloom today.

Looks great. I'll pix mine when the daylight comes.

I already have the two Caryopteris 'Dark Knight' that I got from High Country Gardens then I ordered three of the Petit Blue from a co-op, but my question is what is the difference between the Caryopteris and the Nepeta Walker's Low? They look to be the same size and color and I haven't figured it out.

Here is my Walkers Low.
The differences are so slight to me I believe you need to ba a botonist to tell the difference.
I like to know this stuff but remembering it is a different think altogether.

Very pretty, like the Iris foliage with it.

Caryopteris is a shrub with woody stems while nepta is a perennial plant. I have grown caryopteris a couple of times while it is not hardy for more than a few years it is a beaituful small shrub which drapes gracefully without spreading from it's roots. I have nepta in my garden it is a soft stemmed plant which will spread into a very large clump from it roots.

Good description of the difference. Caryopteris can be a little persnickity in my 5b zone, as I've managed to kill several but have been able to keep 2 for a few years now. Walkers Low has gray-green foliage while the Caryopteris is green. Caryopteris foliage is also taller, denser, and the blue flowers hover over the shrub in Fall.

I loved the Caryopteris when it was here if it were hardy over the long haul I would still have it in the garden. You are so right about it blooming in the fall for very nice late season color. I like the color of the blooms on both plants for me nepta has a much longer bloom season as trimming it back will extend the bloom.

Yep, I give mine a haircut often and it blooms like mad.

I'm zone 6a, and mine almost always die down to the snow line, which fortunately or not, is high. Then I give it a haircut.

Perhaps I should have mentioned that I trim the Nepeta frequently. The Caryopteris gets trimmed only in spring.

Sounds real nice, I think they both have something special to offer and I will probably end up with both. But nepta will have to wait for next year, got enough stuff for now!

THANKS EVERYONE!