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

I use a lot of fresh/dreid herbs in my cooking...makes all the difference in the world!
I also use them for garnishing. A mint sprig is really pretty on the top of a cheesecake, in a pitcher/glass of tea etc...

I started to go back and correct that...but thought it was pretty funny so I just left it!



I'm in! Will trade anything!


That's what I do...and it works!

Happy Mother's day to you all as well! I will be PLANTING!

Lynne-
I have apple mint, spearmint, blue balsam, pineapple, variegated pineapple, blackberry and lemon balm. I had chocolate and it died. Apple has big leaves compared to the others. I have loads of variegated pineapple, spearmint and lemon balm right now. Sure trading sounds good. I will start some of the others this week.

Vanessa-
Have you tried lemon balm? It is awesome in iced tea. I have also used sugered mint sprigs to garnish a chocolate cake.


I don't think you can beat the flavor of fresh mint, oregano, dill or savory.

Donna

Or fennel or basil or, my favorite, rosemary! Just couldn't live with out her!

I have never grown the lemon balm...I have lemon basil and lemon thyme (that is outta this world yummy)

This may sound like a stupid question...but what about wintergreen? Is it in the "mint" family? I love anything winter greeny....but where does it come from and can I grow it???????

Oh! I agree. I also enjoy lovage. I find the flavor in soup to be better then celery.

There is no such thing!

True wintergreen( Gaultheria procumbens) is a different plant. Here it is called mountain teaberry. Although there is wintergreen flavored mint.

Donna

G'morning and Happy Mother's Day!

Donna - this week I picked up some of the variegated pineapple and apple mints, so I won't be needing any of those in a trade - but thanks sooooo much anyway! I also got some lemon balsam in a plant swap last week - no one would go near it because it's sooooo invasive, so I grabbed it - I'll confine it to a pot!

A question about rooting the mints - yesterday I took some cuttings of the chocolate mint for TK, wrapped the stems in a damp paper towel, and put the wrapped end in a zip-lock baggie, but this morning they are very limp and the edges of the leaves are crispy. How do you root your mints? Must I do it in soil?

We're not much for most other herbs like the rosemary, et al... so I don't bother with planting any of those. But... mint is to die for!

Have a great gardening day - it's pretty nasty here today - AGAIN!!! - but I will still plant the large pot on my mom's front porch for her gift. Her rock garden will have to wait for better weather...

Lynne-
It sounds like you are racking up on the mints!

Confining lemon balm to a pot won't help. It reseeds. The plants get rather big too. It will be everywheres. I love it though. What a smell.

What I usually do is pull a sprig up from the ground (with a root or 2) and put it in water. They will grow roots in a matter of days. A lot of people grow mints in bogs and water features.

TK-
PM me. I can send you some plants.

Donna

Donna ~

What if I pinch back the lemon balm when the flowers first start? Think it would stay in check in a pot then?

I've never tried pinching them back but you could try. I don't have a picture of how big they get or I would post it. I bought 2 plants 4/5 years ago and they easily get 3 feet in diameter. I hate to admit this but when they reseed I usually dig the babies back into the ground or compost them. I think every seed germinates!

Donna

Hhmm..interesting...I have had SOOO much trouble with my grass this year (mega weeds)maybe I will just let the lemon balm take over...wouldn't that smeel good when you mow!!!!

Vanessa-
You just might be able to use it as a lawn.

Donna

man, I need to! I know NOTHING about grass except how to mow it!UGH! Last year we developed a rather large brown spot over by the driveway...so, hubby asked me (first mistake)what was wrong. Well, I just kind of chalked it up to...something got poured out there..ant farm...etc. WELL, NOW I KNOW what it is...weeds!!! And now I think it is to late..they are everywhere! And they are growing under the St. Augustine grass so they are very hard to get to....about 4 or 5 varieties the best I can tell So now I have HUGE brown dead spots all over the lawn! Thinking the lemon balm might be the way to go!

Vanessa-
Do you have any lemon balm? I can send you some if you don't. PM me.

Donna

Ooooooh Vanessa... I think lemon balm in your grass would smell soooooo yummy! I hate when my husband mows the lawn here and it stinks from all the onion grass that pops up EVERYWHERE! :p

Love the clean fresh smell of mowed grass, but not the onion grass -
PPPPPPPP UUUUUUUU!

I was kind of kidding...but now am thinking really serious about...do you think it would look funny?

I just found out that my daughter-in-law found some Mexican mint and planted it....can't wait to smell that!

I got my wheel barrow today! An oldie...got it painted and am going to put some petunias in it for now...don't know when I will be able to get my mint...but it will be ready for it when I do!

You guys are killing me with all the yummy mints!

Last year I planted spearmint and it died. I planted it near a water spigot outside, same type area my mom always planted it when I was a kid. The ocassional drip from the spigot always made hers insanely happy....no such luck for me.

This year, however, I have planted chocolate mint (it indeed smells heavenly although I haven't eaten any yet because I haven't a clue what to do with it), variagated pineapple mint and a regular mint.

I am dying now that I know there is a blackberry mint. Macaroni Grill restaurant offers a blackberry mint tea that I adore and if I could find a blackberry mint plant I could easily make my own! (Mint teas are about the only thing I ever use mint for actually.)

I believe I have found the only online store that carries blackberry mint! Shipping is cheap too...$1.10 to ship two plants!

https://ecommerce.lcs.net/stores/gardenbuddies/

Thanks for the site giraff! Is your mint gettng enough sun? I moved my peppermint & spearmint last year to a spot that was not as sunny as what they were in...and it is not doing as well...they love water but have to have that sunshine as well!

I believe that was probably the problem...last year I planted on the shady side of the house...this year they are all in containers and are in the sun a good bit of time (although, I have moved them a bit so they don't get scorched.)