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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 5, 2006 Top perennial thrives across Rogue Valley By JOYCE SCHILLEN for the Mail Tribune Nepeta "Walker's low" (catmint) has been named as Perennial Plant of the Year for 2007 by the Perennial Plant Association. Once again, they've picked a plant that does great in the Rogue Valley! I've grown it for years because it does well and is virtually care-free in my garden. Introduced in 1988 in Europe, Walker's Low catmint has become increasingly popular with each passing year. Although its name implies that Walker's Low is a dwarf catmint, it grows to 36 inches tall and spreads about the same amount. Advertisement Hardy in zones 3 to 8, which includes the Rogue Valley, catmint thrives in average, well-drained garden soil. Once established it's drought- and salt-tolerant (good if you water from a deep well), resistant to deer and rabbit feeding, and will have few pests or diseases. I can testify to that. For the past decade, I've never had a problem with pests on catmint. Except for the cats. Nepetas contain the chemical nepetalactone, which has a well-known invigorating influence on felines. Some gardeners report that it is not as attractive to cats as its cousin catnip, but the cats in my garden love to roll in it vigorously just before clawing their way up the century-old white oak that grows adjacent to my herb garden. Walker's Low catmint has crinkled, aromatic, silver-green foliage. It smells much sweeter and more pleasant than catnip. Flowers are small and pale blue, blooming all season from early spring through fall, if pruned back by two-thirds when the first flowers fade. It should be cultivated in a sunny site, but appreciates late-afternoon shade in hot climates like ours. In the landscape, Walker's Low catmint has many uses. It's a good companion plant for both early summer and late season combinations, pairing well with other PPA plants of the Year, like coreopsis verticillata "moonbeam," salvia nemorosa "mainacht" (May night), or dianthus gratianopolitanus "feuerhexe" (firewitch). Catmint also combines well with sages, thymes, and silvery plants like lamb's ears. Catmint is a good companion for roses, its soft appearance camouflaging the lower stems. Or for an old-fashioned look, pair it with foxgloves, peonies, pinks and German iris. Use it also as a border plant to outline a walkway, in a rock garden to cascade over rocks, or as a ground cover in a sunny location. This week You can join the celebration at North Mountain Park Nature Center in Ashland as staff and volunteers hold their third Bear Creek Salmon Festival, celebrating the connection between wild salmon and people in the Bear Creek Watershed. It takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Park, 620 N. Mountain Ave. Activities for all ages will include demonstrations on native plants and traditional uses of plants. Also you can enjoy a wild salmon barbecue ($10/plate) and live entertainment. For information visit " target="_blank">www.BearCreekSalmonFestival.org. The Siskiyou chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society (NARGS) meets at 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Medford Congregational United Church of Christ, 1801 E. Jackson St., Medford. Tanya Harvey of Eugene NARGS will show slides of wildflowers in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Free and open to the public. Sams Valley gardener Joyce Schillen is author of "The Growing Season," a book on organic gardening. Her e-mail address is [email protected]. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing UK Homeowner Loans GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com