How to Plant a Cat Themed Garden

Cats will love a garden, too

Cat people know that sometimes you need a garden retreat to get out and relax. A cat can relax just right with a stretch here, a paw there, and curling just enough to be comfortable. Here are tips to make an easy care garden so that, like the cat, you have more time for catnaps.

Things You'll Need

• Catnip
• Catmint
• Cat's whiskers
• Pussywillow
• Cat thyme

Instructions

1. Sketch a plan for the garden. The cat garden can be a small accent garden or a larger strolling garden. Make a simple outline. Taller plants or larger perennials are at the back or along the fence. Use medium-height plants next and then short plants or ground cover in the front. With this master plan, you will have a nice visual flow.

2. 

   Place pussywillows in a wet area of your garden. They are tall and will grow up 6 to 20 feet. They need moist soil and like some sun. Prune them to keep these shrubs under control. Their roots will aggressively seek water so do not plant them near sewer or water lines. When the catkins form, cut off branches for indoor floral arrangements.

3. 

   Search for cat's whiskers, also called orthosiphon or Java tea. This herbaceous shrub grows perhaps 1 to 3 feet tall. It is a tropical plant and needs moist soil. It is called cat's whiskers for the long whisker-like plant filaments.

4. 

   Select cat thyme for a perennial bush. It is a grey-green bush with pink flowers. After summer flowering, prune back the dry stalks. The bush can grow in dry soil. Cat thyme grows well in a mild climate. This aromatic plant is not fragrant like many herbs. It has a pungent, musty smell that some people do not like. Cats often love it and joyfully attack the cat thyme. If your cat adores this stinky plant, dry a few branches for winter fun or for stuffing in cat toys.

5. 

   Choose catnip for your cats to play and for your tea. It is shorter and grows like a mint. It is wonderful for borders and folklore says catnip is a great mosquito repellent. This is a perennial herb that comes in a variety of flower colors and leaf shapes. Catmint is similar to catnip but with more lush growth and darker leaves. Catmint grows taller, so move it back to spread out.

6. 

   Plant cat grass in small patches of fertile soil. This is usually an indoor mix of oat seeds that cats and dogs like to eat. Split the seeds and plant some inside and some outside for a nice small fist-sized patch of grass. It requires little care. Just snip off the top if it gets too long and straggly. Like grass, it will grow back until the end of the season. Then just rip it out and plant more in spring. This is an easy care little grass clump.

7. Finish your garden with cat wind chimes and a ceramic or plaster cat in the garden. If you are feeling artistic, sketch a charcoal cat along the back fence. Paint a large oval stone to look like a curled napping cat. Now sit down and have a soothing catnip tea to reward your purr-fect garden work.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not plant cat's claw vine. This is a nasty, invasive weed that is very hard to kill.