Monday, June 2, 2008

Mints

A couple of years ago I planted two mints, white peppermint and spearmint, into my herb garden. I planted them in a half barrel sunk into the ground. I loved my peppermint and picked it all the time, but the spearmint was shunned. I like the smell, but I just don’t use it in anything. So the obvious happened - now quit laughing at me - the peppermint couldn’t compete well because I keep cutting it back. The spearmint is taking over. This year it has been so strong, it keeps trying to break its way out of the tub. Some of the ribs from the oak tub are starting to break up under the strain of its assault. The spearmint has to go. But how to kill it? I want to keep the peppermint, or I’d just dig it up. Should I take a cutting of the peppermint and then dig the whole container up or should I just work at ripping out the spearmint each time I’m in the garden?

Well I tried to find the peppermint to transplant some to a pot and could not find one stalk of it left. I’m sure it is there, but hiding under all the spearmint. So I just pulled it all up. I’m going to let it dry on top of the compost before adding it, so I don’t have a mint problem around the compost pile. Mint tends to be very invasive in my garden. My other mint family plant, Lemon Balm, does not tend to be a weed, so it is allowed to run free.

Unbeknownst to me Joel, my husband, was watching me yesterday while I planted my eggplants. He took this photo as I was putting the hoop tunnel back up.

4 comments:

  1. My mint roams the whole garden. I have spearmint, chocolate mint and lemon balm. I jys pull and pull. I find it hard to throw away, but I have to. You can only use so much.

    I see you are wearing gardening clogs. Stop over to http://thyme-for-herbs.blogspot.com. I'm having a Burpee Clog Giveaway.

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  2. Someday I have to try chocolate mint. I love mint. I love chocolate. The two go together so well. But how do you use it? In tea?

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  3. The mention of "lemon balm" sends me into fits! I can't get rid of the stuff as much as I try. It was all over the potager when we moved in. I've managed to eradicate it there and now this year it popped up way across the yard over by the compost bin and shade garden. The lemon verbena is so much better behaved. We have several mints but all in pots. The orange mint is currently my fave.

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  4. Orange mint. That sounds fabulous. I'm thinking I need three mints now: orange mint, chocolate mint, and peppermint. Though I'll plant them in separate pots this time. Now I have the hardest part. I have to find them. I think maybe tomorrow I'll have to go on a mint hunt, but first I'll email my friends, maybe they have some I can take cuttings of.

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