Blue catmint is a hybrid perennial — a cross between Nepeta racemosa and Nepeta nepetella — first raised by Faassen Nurseries in the Netherlands. Being sterile, it will not reseed into surrounding beds, which makes it far better behaved than many of its relatives. From spring into summer, it forms a clump 18 to 24 inches tall and spreading up to 36 inches wide, with gray-green aromatic leaves and lavender-blue flowers that bees visit consistently.

In practice, blue catmint is one of the most adaptable front-of-border plants available for Zones 5 to 9. It tolerates a range of soil textures as long as drainage is reasonable, and once established it is genuinely drought tolerant. Shear the plant after flowering to encourage a second flush. Plant it along a path or near a garden entrance where brushing against the foliage releases the fragrance — that quality alone justifies a place in almost any garden.