The traditional garden variety for all things culinary, especially for the traditional mint sauce. Dries well for winter use. A rapidly spreading perennial it may be better grown in a container 9x9cm pot (8cm depth)
Description
- Loved by bees
- Easy to grow
- Aromatic
- Traditional flavour
As well as a culinary herb and its use in confectionary, mint has traditionally been used as a tea for treating headaches and digestive disorders, in modern medicine it is widely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal tract disorders and relieving wind and colic. The flowers are very attractive to bees and it is thought to be a mouse and rat repellent. This is the common garden mint which can be used for everything culinary, from teas to potatoes and raita to sorbet.
Plant Care
- Height: 60-100cm
- Type: Hardy
- Aspect: Sun/shade
- Soil: Any/alkaline
- Flower colour: Purple
- Flowering period: July - September
On the whole mints are fast growing perennials that love good rich soil and grow in both sun and shade successfully. Planted in heavy soils they spread rapidly and unless you have plenty of space can become a bit of a menace, in lighter soils their spread is limited and in very dry summers they can die. Most people grow their mints in containers and in the first year they are usually gorgeous and lush, it is in the second year when they emerge again in spring that the leaves are tiny and grow mostly around the edges of the container. This is because they grow so fast that the roots have filled the container completely and though additional feeding helps, there is just not enough oomph left in the soil to support a vigorous plant. The easiest thing to do is tip the whole root ball out and replant half of it back in the container with some fresh compost; it won’t be long before you have a fantastic looking mint again. The other half you can grow in another pot, give away or add to the compost heap.
Usage
An unusual and strongly scented mint with small leaves which give a waft of strawberry when squeezed (occasionally I also think it smells of old socks!!) It can be added to drinks and summer fruit salads and makes a strong tasting tea. The flowers are loved by bees and pollinating insects.