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 IT HAPPEND TO ME I PLANTED SOME IN AN OLD STONE FIRE PLACE THAT WAS IN MY OLD YARD AND BY THE NEXT YEAR IT TRIPPLED THE AREA I HAD ORIGINALLY PLANTED IT IN. GOOD LUCK AND I HOPE IT BLOOMS FOR YOUR HUMMERS

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y203/lilpuppolo/
"If you want to talk bollocks and discuss the meaning of life,you're better off downing a bottle of whiskey.That way you're drunk by the time you start to take yourself seriously"

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!

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Lynne's knitting journal
"I'm spayed, declawed, and housebound - how's YOUR day going???"

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

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my webshots ~ my photobucket

Any ideas why it didn't over winter?

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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!

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Happiness, like a dessert so sweet.
May life give you more than you can ever eat...
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Whaaaaaaaaa they have the chocolate mint but way to expensive for the minimum order. Am going to pout now.

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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.

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Lynne's knitting journal
"I'm spayed, declawed, and housebound - how's YOUR day going???"

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 "

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Lynne's knitting journal
"I'm spayed, declawed, and housebound - how's YOUR day going???"

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 ... until today, when it has grown more and was definitely the mint - even smells like it already.

I'm so excited that you will be able to get some banana mint Vanessa - please let me know if it really smells like bananas!

And, in a short while, I should have plenty of chocolate mint to share if either of you would like me to send some cuttings.

Enjoy!

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Lynne's knitting journal
"I'm spayed, declawed, and housebound - how's YOUR day going???"

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.

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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!

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Lynne's knitting journal
"I'm spayed, declawed, and housebound - how's YOUR day going???"

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

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my webshots ~ my photobucket

quote:

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My mom keeps asking what I'm going to do with the ones I bought, and if I'm REALLY going to use them?!?

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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...

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"Lunne"???

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

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

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I'm in! Will trade anything!

quote:

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She said to pinch the tips of the tops off and it will spread out instead of growing taller at first.

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

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

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Happiness, like a dessert so sweet.
May life give you more than you can ever eat...
*** ***

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

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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???????

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Happiness, like a dessert so sweet.
May life give you more than you can ever eat...
*** ***

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...

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Lynne's knitting journal
"I'm spayed, declawed, and housebound - how's YOUR day going???"

Donna ~

quote:

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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.

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

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Lynne's knitting journal
"I'm spayed, declawed, and housebound - how's YOUR day going???"

quote:

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I think every seed germinates!

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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!!!!

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Happiness, like a dessert so sweet.
May life give you more than you can ever eat...
*** ***

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!

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Happiness, like a dessert so sweet.
May life give you more than you can ever eat...
*** ***

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!

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

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Lynne's knitting journal
"I'm spayed, declawed, and housebound - how's YOUR day going???"

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

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Happiness, like a dessert so sweet.
May life give you more than you can ever eat...
*** ***

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.)

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The higher the point of view, the broader the horizon...said the giraffe.

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!

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Happiness, like a dessert so sweet.
May life give you more than you can ever eat...
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