A friend shared a Facebook post recently encouraging people to plant mint to keep ants from entering a home. The post also advocated growing mint near windows and doors and placing mint leaves in pantries. I have no comment on the use of mint leaves in pantries. I am long overdue in talking about my experience with mint ( Mimi reminded recently that I said I would talk about it last year.I enjoy mint - peppermint and spearmint. I drink peppermint tea and keep peppermints on hand to freshen my breath. I use mint when cooking. According to Wikipedia there are approximately 13 to 15 species of mentha, also known as mint I have also learned the hard way that the mint plant is strong,stealth and insidious.
Several years ago I rented a townhome from a woman who liked that I mentioned growing plants outside the townhouse. It was one of the reasons she chose me as a tenant. I moved into the townhome in late fall so I could only daydream of what I would plant into the flower boxes on the patio in the spring.
When spring arrived I noticed the bright green aromatic leaves and pinched one with leaves with a gloved hand to determine what it was before attempting to clear the flower box. It was mint- spearmint to be precise. I pulled up a few plants and replaced them with the pansies and petunias I purchased. Within two weeks the pansies petunias were struggling to live. I called my mother and shared my dismay that the pansies and petunias were struggling (she has an incredible green thumb). She asked what else was in the flower box. When I told her mint was in the box she told me to remove the pansies and petunias immediately before the mint choked them out. I did as instructed. Within days the petunias and pansies recovered.
As the mint larger I pinched leaves, dried them, and made tea. Aha! Perhaps this was a way to keep the mint in check? I watered all the other plants on the patio, but didn't water the mint, perhaps this would slow its growth.. Perhaps the warm temperatures and hot sun would slow its growth? It seemed to be working- the mint leaves were brown and curling up. Then it rained for nearly a week. Everything on the patio grew, including the mint. The tall mint had even begun to twirl itself around my hanging basket of petunias! I used garden shears and cut all the mint down to about two inches. The mint won. Nothing else was planted in the flower boxes during the remainder of my time at the townhouse.
One day I asked my landlord if she ever grew plants in the flower boxes. She shook her head "no" and then explained that she had planted mint because her brother liked mint tea, but the mint has overtaken the flower boxes so she never never had the opportunity to grow flowers or vegetables in the flower boxes.
This spring, if I grow mint. It will be in a container only.
Be well,
Technicolor girl
