I've been coveting nepeta in gardens for a few years now and would love to have it but don't want to encourage cats into my flower beds. Is there a variety that isn't attractive to cats?
I have 2 cats one ignores the nepeta the other attacks it constantly chewing the leaves so that the only place I can grow it is in a hanging basket. I would suggest you try that. Good luck!
@Camelliad, I've been in the same dilemma as you! After years of delay I recently decided to take the risk as the prospect of more bees in my garden outweighed the possible attention of my neighbour's cat! So far, three weeks on, no cats and lots of bees! I chose Nepeta Junior Walker - it looks like it will form the low neat mounds that I wanted and makes a good companion for salvias.
I planted Nepeta 'Purrsian Blue' in my front garden last summer; so far (photo taken just now) no interest from the local cats. And loads of bees, similar to @Plantminded
I'm on my second nepeta now. (Unnamed variety bought from a garden centre that is very casual in its labelling). The first was completely squashed and eaten by a neighbour's cat. I put broken eggshells around this one, and lots of sticks round it, but that didn't deter the cat. So I found a bamboo cloche online and covered it with that, to give it a chance. Took the cloche off the other day, one 'branch' completely nibbled but now it's too big for the cloche. So I'm back to sticks around it. I have only seen the cat nibble it once. It just looked at me with a stem in its mouth. If I lose this one I'll be looking for a different plant that will do the same job in this spot.
@Plantminded - good luck. I like Junior Walker too - nice and neat.
@Buttercupdays I'm super jealous and actually knowing our cats they probably wouldn't either, but it is the neighbourhood cats that I think are likely to be the bigger issue. They already favour the lovely loose soil in the veg beds...
@didyw and @debs64 this is exactly what I cannot be bothered with. Another high maintenance plant to plan around and protect. I think I might wait a while longer and enjoy it in other people's gardens.
I have nepeta Six Hills Giant. Never seen a cat go near it, but this is a dog neighboorhood. There is a new cat on the block who passes through occassionally and has only so far left me one present. Nepeta is intact.
I'm confused guys. I have nepeta in my hanging baskets and I thought it was a trailing ivy type plant. It looks nothing like yours in the images above.
'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.
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@Plantminded - good luck. I like Junior Walker too - nice and neat.
@Buttercupdays I'm super jealous and actually knowing our cats they probably wouldn't either, but it is the neighbourhood cats that I think are likely to be the bigger issue. They already favour the lovely loose soil in the veg beds...
@didyw and @debs64 this is exactly what I cannot be bothered with. Another high maintenance plant to plan around and protect. I think I might wait a while longer and enjoy it in other people's gardens.
'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw'