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My
Favorite Plant by 2004 ICN Pro of the Year Robert Milani of the Chalet
How about living on the sun? No one wants to, but living through our worst drought since 1988, along with this excessive heat, has affected everyone including farmers, homeowners and Landscape Contractors. As a landscape Architect, I never fully realized how important Mother Nature was to our industry! I personally have either put projects on hold or sent out watering crews to save recently installed landscapes from certain damage or death! That being said, we are here to make a living, so life goes on. The most important part of managing this drought is to be proactive. Scouting and managing new landscapes as well as existing accounts helps deal with potential problems before they happen. Communicate to homeowners how to identify the signs of stress: leaves falling off trees before fall, curling/dry or burnt leaves, premature fall color, wilting and dry or cracked soil. The “rule of thumb” regarding watering is that plants, especially trees, require between 1” and 2” of rain per week. The last important point regarding the drought is to communicate the sense of urgency and importance of regular watering. Urge your client to take ownership of their investment. This drought discussion leads us to the plant of the month: Nepeta mussinii ‘Blue Wonder’ or Blue Wonder Catmint. This particular perennial flower is a spreading aromatic herb with gray-green leaves topped with spikes of clustering late spring lavender-blue flowers. Catmint grows rapidly in rich, well drained, sandy soils. Flowers in full sun but can tolerate part shade. Plant hardiness ranges from zones 3 to 8. This perennial is utilized in rock or herb gardens, natural plantings or in combination with other perennial flowers. Furthermore, I have used catmint with shrub roses because of its extended bloom time. After catmint has finished flowering at midsummer, it can be aggressively cut back to promote a second flower flush. The primary reason I chose this plant this month is its ability to tolerate excessive heat (up to 2 months) of full sun in temperatures exceeding 90°F and tolerance of periods of extended drought. This versatility has made Catmint simple to maintain. In fact in my garden, I water trees, shrubs and tender perennials while neglecting my Russian Sage, Lavender and, of course, Catmint. The result is a beautiful, dependable colorful perennial that adds to the splendor of my garden with little care. Good luck to all of us managing this recent drought and if you have to plant in these harsh conditions, try planting drought tolerant plants, especially Blue Wonder Catmint!
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copyright
Illinois Green Industry Association
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Blue
Wonder Catmint