GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Mint

brooklyn1 · 27-04-2009, 02:00 PM posted to rec.gardens

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
wrote:
I'm thinking about starting a few mint plants in containers... as a
starting point for using plants for culinary purposes..

Before plunking down the money for whatever is being sold locally,
are there
specific mint plants that you would recommend for their taste and use
in cooking ??

Are there any mint plants used specifically for fragrance ??

Thanks in advance for your advice and recommendations !!

Peter

ps.... easter lillies have been planted and are still developing new
pods
and blossoms... amazing plant...

There are many cultivars of mint and naming is probably regional and they
hybridise readily. So identifying a specific mint according to some
description from anywhere in the world and then obtaining it is doubtfull.
They are all esteemed for fragrance but taste varies.

Having said that my favourite for cooking has broad dark green leaves with
reddish stems. It's called 'mint' (!)

They all like damp conditions and will do OK with only part sun.

David

There are many plants in the mint family that are used culinarilly, oregano
is one... but I think the poster is refering to the two most popular known
as "mint", peppermint and spearmint. There are varieties of each but for a
newbie purposes just check the plant nurseries for either, or search about
and query neighbors who will undoubtably have some to give away, either
cultivated or growing wild... I have both types growing wild, in areas it's
so profuse I mow it... it smells nice but I detest mint in foods... I don't
even like mint dental preparations, I buy cinnamon mouth wash (Lavoris) and
lately I've been using Tom's of Main fennel flavored toothpaste. Be very
careful with growing mint, it's extremely invasive... it'll seem to as if by
magic hop right out of your pot and begin to sprout up all over and it's
near impossible to erradicate without killing everything over a great area.