When I was a little girl, I would play in my backyard and have the smells of fresh, wild mint accompany me as I climbed the fence into my neighbor’s yard. I remember my parents thinking it was something of a nuisance, but I always thought it was wonderful.
As I grew older, I discovered more uses for this herb than just pleasant smells (although mint candles, soaps, lotions and shampoos are still my favorite) such as in teas, salads, and sauces for lamb. It’s no surprise, then, that I decided to grow mint in my own garden, and that it’s now the focus of this next post in my summer garden series.
Mint in invasive – which means it can take over in your garden. Mine is in pots and it still grows pretty crazily. But other than that, mint is very easy to grow and care for.
Growing and Harvesting Mint:
- I grew mint in containers from seedlings – I transported them to the bigger pots.
- I planted three kinds of mint (spearmint, sweet, and mojito) together together in one, along with an annual for color.
- My mint plants gets about 2 hours of sun per day – they would probably love more, but space is limited on my patio and it’s the herb that does best with less sun.
- The mint will grow, and grow, and grow. It’s easy-peasy.
- Mint will over-winter. Mine grew very slowly over the winter, but it made it.
- Harvesting mint is simple – just cut off the entire stem, either at the base or in the middle depending on how much you want to use.
Uses For Mint:
As a breath freshener- Infusing teas, simple syrups, distilled liquors, etc.
- In mojitos, like my very own Mint Mojito
- In mint sauce for lamb
- In salads
- To add fragrance to a room
- As a garnish on drinks or on various food dishes
- Infuse into homemade candles, soaps, lip balms, etc.
- Give as a gift
What are some other ways you use mint?
