Showing posts with label mint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mint. Show all posts

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Growing Mint in Containers


If you want mint for your garden there are a few rules you need to know.

Rule #1. Grow in in containers
Rule #2: Never let it escape from the container
Rule #3: If it does escape - pull it up immediately!

Do you get the point? Mint of all sorts are invasive! BUT... they are also wonderful additions to your herb collection too. The container above is Chocolate Mint with an Apple Mint in the foreground. I must  admit I broke the rules with the apple mint. This particular location has heavy clay soil and I wanted a tall plant to disguise my pond filter. The heavy clay keeps it from spreading as profusely as it would in good garden soil and it is easy to pull up shoots that wander from the location. I have a friend who wanted mint to plant in her yard. I warned her that it would take over. She said that she didn't care, she lived way out in the country with no close neighbors and she loved the smell of mint when she mowed the yard.
sweet mint

Here is Sweet Mint just peeking out from it's winter sleep. This container is on my deck. It's close enough to the kitchen to clip fresh for my iced tea, potato dishes, salad and lamb - even sweet peas are good with mint.








New for me this year is Moroccan Mint that I bought to sell at Mimi's Greenhouse Plant Sales this year. Of course I'm putting some in my new herb containers to propagate for next year and enjoy this year myself!

Moroccan Mint
Another new one is this pretty Grapefruit Mint. I have another Grapefruit Mint that is fuzzy like the Apple Mint in the top picture. This one has a nice purple tinged leaf and a yummy  flavor - not quite as tangy as the Lemon Mint that has long been one of my favorites.


I personally think mint is worth the trouble of keeping it contained - so good in recipes, wonderful to brush by it in the garden and enjoy the fragrance and attractive foliage and flowers too.



Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Must Have Herbs

I bet you have been perusing those seed and plant catalogs like I have. Will spring ever get here? Well, we know it will and we will be out in the garden again, This post is about my "must have" list for the herb garden, Below are listed the culinary herbs that I would not want to be without. All but the Basil are perennial in my zone 6B garden. If I can ever get my shopping cart installed, these will be for sale on my website http://www.mimisgreenhouse.com/plants-available-for-sale/
          
Greek and Hot & Spicy Oregano
A must have for Italian dishes 
Hot and Spicy is exactly that - A kick of spice!  
Perennial Herb Zones 4-9
Full Sun  Part Shade

height 12-24 inches 






Sweet Basil
Asian or Italian dishes
Annual Herb Zones 3-10
Full Sun Part Shade
height 4-30 inches





Garlic Chives
Delicate garlic flavor
Perennial Herb Zones 4-8
White star shaped flowers
Full Sun Part shade

height 2 ft X 2 ft






Mint
Chocolate, Grapefruit, Lemon, Moroccan 
Perennial herb Zones 5-9
6 inches - 2 ft tall
Full sun  Shade




Rosemary Salem and ARP
flavor fish, chicken, pork, beans
One of the herbs I would never be without
Perennial Herb Zones 8-10
Full Sun Part Shade
Shrub 3 to 6 ft.