A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 yummy mints :-)

Even though it's still really cold here (it has been only 30F every morning at 7a.m. when my daughter leaves for school this past week), and has been running 10-15 degrees below normal, I couldn't hold back anymore and yesterday I bought some delicious mints - Apple mint, Pineapple mint, and Pineapple sage which I understand is in the mint family. There was such a great selection of other flavors that it was really difficult to not get one of each - especially while they are in that "not picked over" stage and nice and fresh looking. (You know I'm going to have to go back there soon!)


The only one I've grown before is the Pineapple sage, and this I grew in a small pot on my deck hoping to have the red flowers for my hummingbirds. Only problem is that I only got a few small blooms, and way after the hummers left for the season. This year I'm thinking of planting it in the ground so it can grow larger.

Anyone have any experiences with these plants?
Recipes?

plants N POTS,
I HAVE GROWN SOME "MINTS" SINCE I WAS ABOUT 5 YEARS OLD (i think it was the first plant i had)
I WOULD PUT THEM IN THE GROUND BUT BE WARNED THEY ARE VERY INVASIVE THEY WILL GROW AND GROW AND GROW. THEY WILL ALSO TRY TO TAKE OVER YOUR GARDEN/YARD

Apple mint...pineapple mint...WOW, never heard of them...now I am going to be on a mission to try to find some! I have heard of the pineapple sage but haven't seen any. Where did you find them...at a private nursery or some kind of "chain"...I want some bad now!

Vanessa ~

I got them at a local indoor farmers market. It's a pretty pricey place, and I usually don't buy plants there, but their produce is very good, and I do like to wander around the greenhouse - especially in the winter - it's my therapy, ya know?

They had all kinds of different mints - lemon, lime, the regulars - spearmint, etc, I was very lucky - they had just taken the plants off a truck and were putting them on the stand when I got there. As I said before, I was the first one to see them so they weren't picked over with all kinds of broken stems, etc - yea!

Keep your eye out for chocolate mint. the smell is heavenly.

Mint indoors where I have it likes to stay moist, not wet but moist.

Great plants! Mint is invasive. It will find its way everhwheres. I don't have a problem with it running rampant though. It is actually soothing to be weeding a bed and smell all the mints when you brush up against them. I just picked up blackberry mint. Pineapple mint also comes variegated. There seem to thousands of scents. I saw one the other day called banana mint. It smelled so good.
Gardencrazy

I have grown chocolate mint the past 2 summers, but in small pots and they did not overwinter - waaah. You are right - it smells incredible - especially since that is my alltime favorite flavor- ice cream, etc - love it, love it, love it!!!

Maybe I'll try some in the ground this year and see if it overwinters. The farm did not have this particular mint - I was surprised.

Any ideas why it didn't over winter?

Probably because they were still in their 4 inch pots?

BANANA MINT...oh i would die for that! Ibet it would be my favorite...that banana smell is like a little taste of heaven. I buy banana popcicles and heve the entire box eaten before I get home...so, we started getting the whopper size box..so a few..but only a few make it home!

Lookie what I found!!!


click here...

BANANA MINT! <img border="0" alt="[perplexed]" title="" src="graemlins/confused.gif" />


AND... lookie what else they have... YUMMMMMY!!!

Whaaaaaaaaa they have the chocolate mint but way to expensive for the minimum order. Am going to pout now.

OMGoodness Lynne...have you ever made that BREAD. And don't you just love that wheel barrel! I'm gonna HAVE to do that! I have a friend that I think will make me one of those...AND THEN I'M GONNA plant BANANA MINT!!!!
Thanks a bunch for that...just made my day!!!!

Vanessa - I've not made that bread yet - just saw the recipe today, and thought you'd like it!

And guess what? Went to another farm nursery today - they had wonderful herbs - with the same mints I got the other day... BUT... they had my CHOCOLATE MINT!!! And it was much cheaper than the place I bought the other mints, which I thought was a good deal at the time. Any 4" pots today were $2.99 each, or 4 for $10, which comes to $2.50 a piece!!! The other place was $3.99 a pot, or 3 for $10. I almost bought the same mints that I got the other day again, because it was such a good price, but I actually was able to get ahold of myself and not do it!

No banana mint though. Too bad!

TK - when the chocolate mint grows a bit, I'll be happy to send you some cuttings if you like.

Gardencrazy - wow! Blackberry mint - never saw or heard of that one! Bet it's wonderful!

Most of the places here have orange mint, but I don't find the scent to be very orangey.

I do know how invasive mint can be, but for some reason, mine never has been - as a matter of fact, the only mint that keeps returning for me has been catmint so far - weird...

Look at these different mints I just found online!

Marshmallow mint??? What will they think of next?!?

"The Westerfield Mints (Mentha spp.) Richters is pleased to offer these remarkable mints created by Jim Westerfield. Jim is an innkeeper extraordinaire with a passion for herbs and for cross breeding new varieties of mints. His first big splash was 'Hillary's Sweet Lemon Mint' introduced in 1995. Jim and his wife Marilyn run an award-winning American bed-and-breakfast inn called "Westerfield House" in Freeburg, Illinois (near St. Louis), reknowned for its gourmet luncheon and dinner events held throughout the year.


Berries & Cream™ Mint
Marilyn's Salad Mint™ Mint
Candy Lime™ Mint
Marshmallow™ Mint
Pink Candypops™ Mint
Millenium™ Mint
Hillary's Sweet Lemon Mint
Oregano-Thyme™ Mint
Julia's Sweet Citrus™ Mint
Sweet Bay™ Mint
Margarita™ Mint
Sweet Pear™ Mint "

Lynne, are you planting your mint deep? That may be the problem. I have moved mine, mowed it down...you name it...it just comes back up and waves at me! But, I moved it last year and the spot is not as sunny and it isn't growing as well.
I think I have found a wheel barrell.......so I am going to order some BANANA MINT! Hubby is even excited (he knows he will get some of that BREAD)

Guess what Vanessa and TK?

After I bought my new chocolate mint this afternoon, I later found my patch from last year - it is coming up very nicely! LOL! I had forgotten that I put it under my 2nd story deck stairs - a place I put baby plants to nurture them along til they can go out in full sun on their own. I now remember that the small pot it was growing in got really ratty looking at the end of summer, so I quickly put it in the soil in this area before the weather turned cold. When I saw something coming up there this year, I had no recollection as to what it could be

Enjoy!

MARSHMALLO MINT...MARGERITA MINT

I'm going mint crazy!
Just call me ......Manessa Mint!
This is a hoot!

Now I'm gonna HAVE to know if the marshmallow mint really smells like marshmallows!!!! Lunne...would you PLEASE stop finding this stuff...it is making me CRAZY!!

I would love some chocolate mint cuttings. But I wouldn't know what to do with them. Can you tell me? I have a very black thumb.

Can you believe this, Vanessa? I've never really cooked with fresh herbs before, but I cannot believe all these crazy mints! My mom keeps asking what I'm going to do with the ones I bought, and if I'm REALLY going to use them?!? She is not a gardener AT ALL, and can't understand the addiction, which is odd because she's been addictive to golf since shortly after I was born, so you would think she would get it...

This quote is funnier than you know... first of all - "Lunne"???
(by the way, when my daughter was born, 14 years ago, there was the same typo in the newspaper announcement - I was furious - because it did make it sound like I was crazy! Of course they wouldn't reprint the announcement... oh, well... :rolleyes: )

This really is soooooo much fun! Wanna trade our different mints once we get them all going?

Happy mother's day and gardening... Lynne

TK - the mints root REALLY REALLY EASILY - I could wait to send some when they've taken root, or I could just send cuttings in a damp paper towel in a plastic baggy - either way, you would then just stick them in a pot and watch them go (grow)! As you know, they are very invasive, so a pot is the way to go.

Let me look over the plants today, and I'll see if there are any runners that are ready to cut off - I love sharing my plants - it's so much fun thinking that they are growing all over the country - spread the green!

Just stick them in a pot. You are talking my language there. That I can do. How much postage should I send you? The landlord didn't want payment for the mulch so I have 10.00 burning a hole in my pocket lol. I will PM you with my address.

Hey that means I can send JV his dwarf everygreen this month. That is so cool! I know what you mean by being able to share your plants. The feeling is tremendous.

Lynn,
WOW! 4 for $10.00. That is a good price. I currently have several mints and I am kicking myself now for not buying the banana mint. I liked the blackberry alot. Sometimes self control is a bummer. I can't go back and get more now either.
The woman I got the blackberry from also had a fruitsalad, Berries and cream, Peppermint patty mint and several others. She gave me a tip on making mint take root better and start to run faster. She said to pinch the tips of the tops off and it will spread out instead of growing taller at first.

Donna

Donna ~

I know how tempting it is to get all the varieties you see, but how reality kicks in too. Too bad you werent' able to get the other ones that that woman had - I hadn't heard of them before yesterday when I did the online search.

Which kinds do you have now? You mentioned that you have several? Would you want to trade some cuttings once mine get established?

Glad to see there are others out there who appreciate "the finer things in life". Give me a plant over some didley materialistic item anytime - having them grow makes me sooooo happy!