Nepeta ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ is a catmint variety, recognized as the 2021 Perennial Plant of the Year. This herbaceous perennial features compact growth, fragrant foliage, and abundant lavender-blue to indigo-blue flowers. With its long blooming season extending from early summer into fall, and its ability to tolerate drought once established, it has become a favored choice for many gardens. Companion planting with ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ can enhance both the aesthetic appeal and overall health of your garden space.
Choosing Companion Plants for Cat’s Pajamas
Companion planting with ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ Nepeta offers several benefits, including attracting beneficial pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Its aromatic foliage also helps deter garden pests such as deer and rabbits. This fosters a healthier garden ecosystem by drawing in insects like parasitic wasps and hoverflies, which prey on common garden pests.
Selecting suitable companion plants involves matching their growing conditions to those preferred by ‘Cat’s Pajamas’. This catmint thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. It is adaptable to various soil types and exhibits strong drought tolerance once established. Ideal companions should share these preferences for ample sunlight, well-draining conditions, and low water needs.
Aesthetic considerations are also important in companion planting design. Complementary colors, textures, and heights create a harmonious and visually interesting display. The vibrant blue-purple blooms and mounding habit of ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ can serve as a base for contrasting or harmonizing plant forms. Pairing it with plants that offer different bloom times can extend the garden’s interest throughout the growing season.
Recommended Companion Plants for Cat’s Pajamas
Many plants pair well with ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ Nepeta due to their shared growing requirements and complementary characteristics. Roses are an excellent choice, with the soft blue-purple of catmint contrasting their diverse colors and forms. The aromatic properties of catmint may also help deter certain rose pests.
Perennials thriving in full sun and well-drained soil are natural partners. Coneflowers (Echinacea) offer sturdy, upright forms and vibrant daisy-like blooms. Salvias, known for their spiky flower forms and drought tolerance, come in various shades of blue, purple, and pink. Sedums, particularly upright varieties, provide architectural interest and late-season blooms.
Ornamental grasses like ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass create a vertical element that complements the mounding habit of ‘Cat’s Pajamas’. Low-growing groundcovers such as Coreopsis (yellow or orange blooms) and Dianthus (fringed pink or white flowers) provide continuous color. Lavender, another fragrant, drought-tolerant perennial, shares similar aesthetic and environmental preferences, though it requires equally sharp drainage.
Herbs like rosemary and thyme are also suitable companions, offering both aromatic foliage and a similar preference for sunny, well-drained conditions. Other beneficial pairings include Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) for their sunny yellow flowers, and Yarrow (Achillea), which provides flat-topped flower clusters and fine, fern-like foliage.
Designing Your Companion Planting
Thoughtful arrangement of plants alongside ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ Nepeta creates visual appeal and optimizes growing conditions. Consider layering plants by height to ensure each receives adequate sunlight and is visible within the design. ‘Cat’s Pajamas’, typically reaching 12-14 inches tall, works well in the middle ground or as an edging plant along pathways.
Taller companions, such as ornamental grasses or upright salvias, can be placed behind the catmint to provide a backdrop and vertical interest. Shorter plants like Dianthus or sedums can be positioned in front, forming a cohesive transition. Combining different textures, such as the fine foliage of catmint with the broader leaves of coneflowers, adds depth to the planting. Ensure proper spacing between plants to allow for their mature size, promoting good air circulation and reducing competition for resources.
Ongoing Care for Your Combined Planting
Maintaining a garden bed with ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ and its companions generally involves minimal effort, largely due to the catmint’s low-maintenance nature. Watering is most important during the establishment phase for newly planted companions, typically the first growing season. Once established, most compatible plants, including ‘Cat’s Pajamas’, are drought-tolerant and require infrequent irrigation.
Occasional fertilization is rarely necessary, as ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ prefers lean soil and too much richness can cause leggy growth. Deadheading the spent flowers of ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ encourages continuous blooming throughout the season, as it reblooms readily after trimming. General weeding around the plants helps reduce competition for nutrients and moisture.