Choosing the right catmint walkers low companion plants can make your garden look cohesive and thrive with less work. Catmint ‘Walker’s Low’ pairs beautifully with plants that appreciate similar sunny, well-drained conditions. This popular perennial is loved for its long bloom time, easy care, and soft, lavender-blue flower spikes. When you pair it correctly, you create a stunning display that supports pollinators and looks great from spring to fall.
Catmint Walkers Low Companion Plants
The key to successful companion planting with ‘Walker’s Low’ is understanding its needs. This plant thrives in full sun and soil that drains quickly. It is drought-tolerant once established and has a relaxed, mounding habit. Good companions will share these cultural preferences, ensuring all plants in the grouping are healthy. The right pairings also consider color, texture, bloom time, and function, like attracting beneficial insects or deterring pests.
Understanding The Growing Conditions For Walker’s Low
Before selecting companions, you need to know what ‘Walker’s Low’ requires. It is a tough plant that asks for very little, but giving it the right start is crucial.
Sunlight And Soil Preferences
This catmint needs at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. It will become leggy and flop over if it doesn’t get enough sun. The soil should be well-draining; sandy or loamy soil is ideal. It tolerates poor soil and actually prefers it to rich, heavy clay. If your soil is clay, amend it with compost or grit to improve drainage before planting.
Watering And Maintenance Needs
‘Walker’s Low’ is remarkably drought-tolerant. After the first season, it needs minimal supplemental watering. Overwatering is a common mistake that can lead to root rot. For maintenance, you can shear the plant back by about half after its first major flush of blooms in early summer. This encourages a tidier shape and a second, though smaller, bloom period later in the season.
Excellent Companion Plant Choices For Catmint
Many plants make wonderful partners for ‘Walker’s Low’. Here are some of the best catmint walkers low companion plants, organized by the benefits they provide.
Companions For Contrasting Form And Texture
The soft, billowing clouds of catmint look fantastic next to plants with bold or structural shapes.
- Ornamental Grasses: Try blue fescue or fountain grass. Their upright or arching forms play well against the catmint’s mound.
- Spiky Flowers: Salvia, such as ‘May Night’ or ‘Caradonna’, offer vertical spikes that contrast with the catmint’s softer shape.
- Broad-Leaved Plants: Lamb’s ear provides fuzzy, silver foliage that contrasts in both texture and color.
Companions For Extended Color And Bloom Time
Pair ‘Walker’s Low’ with plants that bloom before or after it to keep color in your garden longer.
- Early Summer Bulbs: Alliums bloom alongside catmint, their large purple spheres creating a stunning combo.
- Long-Blooming Perennials: Coreopsis and gaillardia (blanket flower) bloom all summer, matching the catmint’s endurance.
- Late Season Stars: Russian sage and sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ pick up the visual slack as the catmint’s flowering starts to fade.
Companions For A Pollinator Garden
Catmint is a magnet for bees and butterflies. Amplify this effect with other pollinator favorites.
- Butterfly Attractors: Plant butterfly bush or coneflower nearby to create a butterfly haven.
- Bee-Friendly Blooms: Borage and anise hyssop are excellent for supporting bee populations all season.
- Hummingbird Favorites: Penstemon and bee balm will draw in hummingbirds while thriving in the same sunny spot.
Designing Your Garden Layout
Knowing what to plant is half the battle; knowing where to plant it is the other half. A good design ensures every plant can be seen and has room to grow.
Placement Strategies For Visual Impact
Use ‘Walker’s Low’ as a anchor plant. Its mounding, spreading habit makes it perfect for the front or middle of a border. Plant it in drifts of three or five for a more natural, impactful look. Place taller companions like ornamental grasses or tall salvias behind it. For contrast, place lower-growing, textural plants like thyme or dianthus in front. This creates layers that are pleasing to the eye.
Considering Plant Height And Spread
Always check the mature size of any companion plant. ‘Walker’s Low’ typically grows about 24-30 inches tall and can spread up to three feet. Avoid planting aggressive spreaders too close, as they might overwhelm the catmint. Instead, choose plants with similar vigor or leave adequate space between them. Proper spacing improves air circulation, which reduces the risk of fungal diseases.
Step-By-Step Planting Guide
Follow these steps to successfully establish your catmint and its companions in the garden.
- Prepare the Site: Choose a location with full sun. Loosen the soil to a depth of about 12 inches and mix in some compost to improve drainage if needed.
- Arrange Your Plants: While they are still in their pots, arrange them on the soil surface according to your design plan. This lets you adjust spacing before you dig.
- Dig Planting Holes: Dig each hole twice as wide as the plant’s root ball but no deeper. This encourages roots to spread out into the surrounding soil.
- Plant and Water: Place each plant in its hole, backfill with soil, and gently firm it down. Water thoroughly to settle the soil and eliminate air pockets.
- Apply Mulch: Spread a 2-inch layer of mulch, like shredded bark, around the plants. Keep the mulch a few inches away from the plant stems to prevent rot.
Ongoing Care And Maintenance
Once established, your companion planting scheme will be relatively low-maintenance. A little care goes a long way in keeping it looking its best.
Watering Schedule For Established Beds
Water your new planting regularly for the first growing season. After that, ‘Walker’s Low’ and its drought-tolerant companions will only need water during prolonged dry spells. A deep, infrequent watering is better than frequent light sprinklings. It encourages deeper root growth, making the plants more resilient.
Pruning And Deadheading Tips
As mentioned, shearing back ‘Walker’s Low’ after its first bloom promotes new growth and flowers. For its companions, deadhead spent flowers on plants like coneflower and coreopsis to encourage more blooms. In late fall or early spring, you can cut back the dormant foliage of perennials. Ornamental grasses are often left standing for winter interest and cut back in early spring.
Managing Pests And Diseases Naturally
Companion planting itself can help deter pests. Strong-scented herbs like lavender or rosemary planted nearby can confuse pests. Good spacing and air flow are the best defenses against diseases like powdery mildew. If aphids appear, a strong spray of water from the hose is often enough to dislodge them. Encouraging ladybugs and other beneficial insects by providing diverse plantings is a great long-term strategy.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Even with an easy plant like ‘Walker’s Low’, a few errors can lessen its impact or health.
- Overwatering: This is the fastest way to kill catmint. Ensure the soil dries out between waterings.
- Planting in Too Much Shade: Insufficient sun leads to floppy growth and fewer flowers.
- Using Rich Soil or Too Much Fertilizer: This promotes excessive leafy growth at the expense of flowers and can cause the plant to split open.
- Ignoring Mature Size: Crowding plants leads to competition for resources and increased disease risk.
- Forgetting to Shear: While not strictly necessary, skipping the post-bloom shear means a messier plant that may not rebloom.
Seasonal Considerations For Your Garden
Your companion planting will change its apperance with the seasons. Planning for this ensures year-round interest.
In spring, the fresh silver-green foliage of catmint emerges. It pairs well with spring bulbs like tulips. Summer is the peak season, with the lavender-blue flowers taking center stage alongside other bloomers. In fall, the catmint foliage often turns an attractive yellow, complementing autumn sedums and asters. In winter, the dead stems of catmint and grasses can provide texture and catch frost, adding beauty to the dormant garden.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about catmint walkers low companion plants.
What Are The Best Low-Maintenance Companions For Catmint?
The best low-maintenance companions are those with similar needs: full sun and well-drained soil. Excellent choices include sedum, ornamental grasses like switchgrass, rudbeckia, and lavender. These plants all thrive on neglect once established and rarely need staking or extra water.
Can I Plant Catmint Walker’s Low With Vegetables?
Yes, catmint can be a great companion in the vegetable garden. Its flowers attract pollinators which can improve the yield of crops like tomatoes and squash. It may also help deter certain pests like aphids. Plant it along the edges of your vegetable beds where it won’t be overwatered with the rest of your crops.
How Do I Prevent Catmint From Becoming Invasive?
‘Walker’s Low’ is a cultivar that is generally well-behaved and not considered truly invasive. However, it can self-seed modestly. To prevent this, simply shear off the spent flower heads before they go to seed. This also has the benefit of encouraging a second bloom.
What Colors Look Best With The Lavender-Blue Flowers?
Purple and blue flowers create a harmonious, cool-toned look with catmint. For contrast, try pairing it with warm colors like the yellow of coreopsis or the orange of gaillardia. Silver and white foliage plants, such as artemisia or dusty miller, make the lavender blooms stand out beautifully. The classic combination of purple and yellow is always a winner.
Should Catmint Be Cut Back In The Fall Or Spring?
You can do either. Many gardeners leave the foliage standing over winter for visual interest and to provide a bit of cover for beneficial insects. Then, they cut it back to a few inches above the ground in early spring, just as new growth begins to appear at the base. Cutting it back in the fall is also fine if you prefer a tidy winter garden.