Catmint Six Hills Giant

Catmints are ideal companions for roses, suitable for naturalistic gardens, and lower species also for boxes and pots. Some of them are an irresistible attraction for cats, caused by the hallucinogen nepetalactone. This should be present in the highest amount in the species Nepeta cataria. Conversely, lemon-scented catmints reportedly do not attract cats. The botanical name Nepeta likely comes from the name of the ancient Etruscan city Nepet - Nepi in the territory of today's Italian province of Viterbo, where the plant was once cultivated. Nepeta racemosa naturally grows on dry meadows and rocky, stony slopes from the Caucasus to Central Asia. It has aromatic grey-green leaves and forms a tufted semi-spherical bush. Walker’s Low got its name after an Irish estate where it was bred in 1970. It has the most intense blue-violet flower coloration.

Knautia macedonica is a profusely and long-blooming undemanding perennial. Its wild form originates from the Balkans, where it grows on meadows and in scrublands. In flower beds, it charms with slender high stems that carry pastel wine and pink flowers. It is suitable for naturally designed sunny to semi-shady beds and meadow bouquets.

Perovskia are sparsely branched subshrubs, native to regions from Afghanistan to Tibet. They grow in open, sunny, rocky, and stony habitats. Their white felted shoots and grayish aromatic leaves are striking. They are suitable for sunny flower beds alongside other drought-loving perennials, where they create interesting structures even in the winter months.

Feather grass flowers capture attention in beds and bouquets with their lightness and delicacy. All feather grasses love full sun and dry, stony, well-drained soil. To look most natural in beds, it is good to plant them in loose groups of several pieces together with other drought-loving perennials and bulbs. Only then do their stems and inflorescences, set in motion by the slightest breath of wind, truly stand out. Stipa 'Ponny Tails' is a species native to the steppes of Mexico, Texas, and Patagonia. Airy, dense clumps of hair-like delicate leaves resemble horsehair. The leaves are green, turning up to straw-colored towards the flowers. In a suitable location, it also self-seeds.

Gaura is a clump-forming perennial native to Texas and Louisiana. Here, it behaves more like a short-lived perennial. It combines beautifully with grasses and adds lightness and airiness to flower beds. It is an excellent food source for insects. Tiny flowers resembling small butterflies bloom tirelessly from June until the first frosts. For bouquets, harvest as soon as the first two or three flowers open on the stem. Siskiyou Pink is a beautiful variety with pink-red flowers on slightly arching stems. It is less hardy than the white-flowering varieties. The red-spotted leaves are also interesting.

Lady's mantle naturally grows on mountain pastures and meadows and in mixed forests. It is ornamental in both leaf and flower. The leaves have fine hairs giving the plant a velvety character. It is a perennial sought after by ancient alchemists for the drops of dew that appear in the pleated leaves. Valuable for florists for its multitude of tiny greenish-yellow flowers. Important in flower beds for its ground-covering character. Lasts 10 days in a vase.

A valuable garden and medicinal perennial, native to North America. It blooms in summer with dark purple-pink flowers. The spiky flower centers are an irresistible attraction for butterflies. They last 7–10 days in a vase. After removing the petals, the stems with the central disks can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting element. Magnus features distinctive deep pink flowers with an orange-brown center.

Like Lavender, Hyssop is considered a low woody subshrub. It works well in similar planting schemes, with roses or even in steppe-style gravel beds. It can be used in the kitchen and as a medicinal plant. A huge attraction for bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. Sweet pink flowers.

A verbena species originally from South America. In our country, it is often used as an annual, but in mild winters it can overwinter and reproduce by self-seeding. The firm, airy stems beautifully soften perennial beds and make them special with their purple color. It beautifully complements steppe plantings with grasses and rose beds.

Knautia macedonica is a profusely and long-blooming undemanding perennial. Its wild form originates from the Balkans, where it grows on meadows and in scrublands. Red Knight charms in flower beds with slender high stems that carry dark wine-colored flowers. It is suitable for naturally designed sunny to semi-shady beds and meadow bouquets.

An original wild perennial with a large distribution area from Europe to Siberia. Suitable for natural and wild plantings. It grows in meadows and dry grassy places. A very adaptable and undemanding plant, it grows in clumps and spreads by runners. By cutting back after the first flowering, we encourage a set of new flowers. For bouquets, we harvest when the florets are fully open. It lasts 10 days in a vase. Summer Pastels is characterized by a changeable and soft range of colors from white and vanilla to salmon, brick red, and bronze.

A perennial that finds its place in naturalistic steppe and gravel beds. It attracts bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. It is floristically valuable for its flowers with striking bracts, which are also perfect for drying. The roots of some species were formerly eaten candied as sweets in England and France and added to pastries and jellies. In herbal medicine, it was used as an aphrodisiac, among other things, hence its folk name "male fidelity".

An undemanding and modest perennial that blooms with a large number of tiny flowers. It blooms for a record-breaking length of time throughout late summer and autumn. It forms smaller, compact, airy bushes that emit a minty-spicy fragrance. The thyme-like flowers attract bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. It will look good among roses as well as in natural-style steppe beds, perhaps with lower grasses.

A valuable garden and medicinal perennial, native to North America. The spiky flower centers are an irresistible attraction for butterflies. They last 7–10 days in a vase. After removing the petals, the stems with the central disks can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting element. White Swan blooms with milky white flowers and brownish-orange centers. The petals are not spread entirely horizontally; they bend slightly downwards.

This species of sage originates from the steppe regions of Central and Eastern Europe. It forms profusely flowering small clumps with straight, upright stems. In flower beds, it looks best in groups. It is traditionally planted as a companion to roses due to the matching flowering time. However, it looks equally good in mixed drought-tolerant steppe plantings with grasses. It is an excellent food source for bees. Lasts 7 days in a vase. Amethyst is an elegant variety with long stems and a pink flower color that is unusual for sages.

Rudbeckia, also known as coneflowers, originates from North America; they are robust and abundantly blooming perennials of late summer and autumn. They are suitable for prairie plantings with tall grasses as well as for cottage gardens. The central disks look very effective even after flowering and decorate perennial beds throughout the winter. Harvest for the vase as soon as they bloom. Vase life is 7 to 10 days. We can also use the dry central disks. Goldsturm is a reliable and long-proven cultivar. It has bright golden-yellow flowers with dark centers.

This species of sage originates from the steppe regions of Central and Eastern Europe. It forms abundantly flowering small clumps with straight upright stems. In beds, it looks best in groups. Traditionally, it is planted as a companion to roses due to the matching flowering time. However, it will look equally good in mixed drought-loving steppe plantings with grasses. It is an excellent food source for bees. It lasts 7 days in a vase. The cultivar Ostfriesland blooms with a strikingly dark violet-blue color.

A valuable garden and medicinal perennial, native to North America. It blooms in late summer and captivates with long drooping petals. The spiky flower centers are an irresistible attraction for butterflies. It lasts 7–10 days in a vase. After removing the petals, the stems with the central discs can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting element.

This species of sage originally comes from the steppe regions of Central and Eastern Europe. It forms profusely flowering small clumps with straight upright stems. In flower beds, it looks best in groups. Traditionally, due to the identical flowering time, it is planted as a companion to roses. However, it will look just as good in mixed drought-loving steppe plantings with grasses. It lasts 7 days in a vase. The cultivar Caradonna stands out with a long flowering period and dark, almost black-purple stems with tiny purple flowers and dark purple bracts. If we cut it back after flowering, it will bloom again in late August and September.

A lesser-known species of Yarrow has dark green glossy serrated leaves that remain attractive throughout the growing season, and a sweet pink color of flowers that are larger than the flowers of common Yarrow. It lasts 10 days in a vase.

A tufted, upright growing grass. It sprouts very early. It is decorative due to its overall vertical habit and fine flower panicles, which bloom silvery-grey, turn yellow in summer, and transition to sandy beige. It decorates the garden until winter. You can plant it in mixed beds or use it as an element to rhythmically divide the space. Usable for bouquets and drying.

Gaura is a clump-forming perennial native to Texas and Louisiana. Here, it behaves more like a short-lived perennial. It combines beautifully with grasses and adds lightness and airiness to flower beds. It is excellent pasture for insects. Tiny flowers resembling small butterflies bloom tirelessly from June until the first frosts. For bouquets, harvest as soon as the first two or three flowers on the stem open. Summer Breeze has a rich abundance of flowers in white and pink. It is robust and hardy.

A valuable garden and medicinal perennial, originally from North America. It blooms in summer with dark purple-pink flowers. The spiky flower discs are an irresistible lure for butterflies. Lasts 7–10 days in a vase. After plucking the petals, the stems with the central discs can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting element. Rubinstern is very similar to the Magnus cultivar; the petals are darker and firmer. As they fade, they gradually pale and droop downwards.

This species of sage originates from the steppe regions of Central and Eastern Europe. It forms abundantly flowering small clumps with straight upright stems. In beds, it looks best in groups. Traditionally, it is planted as a companion to roses due to the matching flowering time. However, it will look equally good in mixed drought-loving steppe plantings with grasses. It is an excellent food source for bees. It lasts 7 days in a vase. Schneehügel blooms white.

Meadow sage occurs here primarily in warmer regions, especially in southern Moravia and northern and central Bohemia. It grows on sunny meadows and hillsides and along paths. Fragrant leaves form a basal rosette, from which several less leafy branched stems grow. The inflorescences are composed of striking bilabiate flowers, which are a great attraction for bees and bumblebees. Rose Rhapsody has light pink flowers.

Perovskia are sparsely branched subshrubs, originating from areas ranging from Afghanistan to Tibet. They grow in open, sunny, rocky, and stony habitats. Their white-felted shoots and grayish aromatic leaves are striking. They fit well in sunny flower beds with other drought-loving perennials, where they create interesting structures even in the winter months. Little Spire is a smaller cultivar suitable even for pots with a soil volume of 7 liters or more.

An undemanding and modest perennial that blooms with a large number of tiny flowers. It blooms for a record-breaking length of time throughout late summer and autumn. It forms smaller, compact, airy bushes that release a minty-spicy scent. The thyme-like flowers attract bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. It will look good among roses as well as in naturalistic steppe beds, perhaps with lower grasses. This calamint is generally more vigorous. It differs from other calamints with felted leaves by its record flowering length, stiff and shiny leaves, and also a larger number of flowers that do not form seeds and are therefore maximally durable. Sometimes sold under the cultivar name 'Triumphator'.

A classic perennial for early summer bouquets and cottage gardens. For bouquets, we harvest flowers with firm, smooth central disks. Then they last 7–10 days in a vase. Maikönigin is an exceptionally abundantly flowering garden form.

Gaura is a clump-forming perennial originally from Texas and Louisiana. Here it behaves more like a short-lived perennial. It combines beautifully with grasses and adds lightness and airiness to flowerbeds. It is excellent pasture for insects. Tiny flowers similar to small butterflies bloom tirelessly from June until the first frosts. Harvest for bouquets immediately as soon as the first two to three flowers open on the stem. Whirling Butterflies blooms with pure white flowers that gradually acquire a pink tinge. Buds are also usually pinkish. Characterized by compact growth and blooms profusely.