Nepeta or catnip: a good alternative to lavender

We are the first to confess that we love lavender. The smell, the color, the southern feel the plant evokes: we love it! But the reality is that lavender is not always the easiest plant in the garden. It is difficult, almost impossible, to keep the plant alive in wet clay soil. It requires a soil that drains water well during the winter months. From stagnant water, the roots rot, and then the fun is soon gone. But not to worry, because there is a great alternative: nepeta!

Nepeta, unlike lavender, is a perennial plant that dies above ground during winter and reappears in spring. Nepeta is a very easy plant that is not very demanding and will grow in just about any type of soil. So if you have a wet clay soil, and you still want to enjoy the look of lavender, then nepeta is a good alternative. No, the plant doesn't suddenly smell like lavender, but if you like a fresh mint scent, then you'll get excited about this too. 

Nepeta starts flowering from the end of May until the end of July. After that, you can cut the plant back short so that flowers will reappear not much later and you will thus see a second very exuberant bloom. This is often as early as August or September until the first night frost arrives. Because of the exuberant blooms of nepeta, the flowers are often, very often, visited by bees and bumblebees. It is insane bee magnet. The buzzing is deafening.

The name catnip already suggests that cats have a peculiar relationship with nepeta. There are those who say their cats roll around in it and then there are those who have never seen a cat behave strangely around the plant. Nevertheless, we can only recommend the plant. And even if you can keep lavender alive in your garden, you might find a place for nepeta in the border as well. 

There are many varieties of nepeta. For there are some that stay small and others that grow quite large and luxuriant. A ready-made solution for every corner of the garden.