I planted mint straight into the garden.
I slipped it into a sweet spot at the base of the white balloon flowers and didn't look back. I have no regrets. It will thrive and mingle, slyly caressing the petals and leaves of the surrounding plants but offering its true heart only to the bees.
A few quick tugs will keep that Romeo in place and I'll just wink as I walk by.
Oh my! You are brave! Mint is a force to be reckoned with, at least here. The prior owner of our house put mint in one of the raised vegetable planters (because, he said, "it did so well"). I spent a good part of one of my first weeks in this house trying to clear it out only to have it reappear in the bed, outside the bed, and - I swear - growing out of the wood sides themselves. Even with restricted water, it survives. I've tried to make my peace with it because there's no alternative, except maybe pulling out the wood planter, burning it, and bringing in a back-hoe to dig 6 feet down. That said, I must admit that I did once plant mint in the ground myself at my former house in an area bounded by a concrete driveway. It remained manageable in that small, contained area, at least on my side of the fence - I have no idea what happened on the neighbor's side of the fence...
ReplyDeleteThis could definitely end badly and I might have to plead insanity when questioned why I did it. ;o) I might also be writing a post a year from now about the end of the affair. But right now I'm going to give it a chance.
DeleteBrave, indeed! I can see planting it in a pot, but directly in the ground--that's a risk. But it's near the rocks in your garden and in a contained area, so maybe you'll be OK. I never planted mint here, and yet I occasionally find some in my garden--probably from wind-borne seeds. It will be interesting to read your posts next growing season--for this reason, and others of course! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm living la vida loca right now. It will turn into a thug but such a beautiful one. :o)
DeleteOh dear! You do like to live dangerously. Still it is very pretty. Just as well.
DeleteGreat blog with beautiful pictures with beautiful colors, very good processing.
ReplyDeleteBest Regards from Gran Canaria - Canary Islands (Spain)
Thanks!
DeleteI planted mint by the alley next to our trash pad. Some is creeping into the neighbor's yard a touch. If it gets too tall, I just mow it down. When I park the mower in the garage, it makes the garage smell great for a week.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! Our mower just smells like grass. I'd much rather it smelled of mint. :o)
DeleteHa. I had to come out of lurkerdom for this post because I just did the same thing a few weeks ago! Is that pineapple mint? I was inspired to put mine in the ground when I saw it in a border at a local garden that is open to the public. It looked amazing mingling with Verbena bonariensis and some Salvia. I put mine in a very tough spot under a large maple so if it takes over that's fine by me! Great blog btw; I just found you recently.
ReplyDeleteHi! I think the combo will be wonderful and I can always pull it when it goes too far. It's planted near white balloon flowers and pink cornflowers. It's a risk but life's too short to always play it safe.
DeleteOh my, what is going on? Wasn't it enough to cut back the clematis until all that was left were roots? Let's hope the mint assuages your need to cut things and dig them up.
ReplyDeleteI cut and dig on a regular basis. :o) The clematis will be just fine and the mint will stage a sweet minty takeover that will keep me hopping. By the time I cut back the clematis, it was an ugly pile of sticks. I rejuvenated it. Life at the Casa is never dull!
DeleteDear Tammy, I just say: "garden as you please" ;-)! Is this a variegated form of mint (I am not a 100% sure from seeing the photo)? If so, maybe it is not as prolific, note that I didn't use the word invasive ;-), as the regular mint and it will behave in your garden and you will just love it.
ReplyDeleteNice to see your dogs in the background of the photo, you barely show them on your blog (I know it is a garden blog, but still...).
Totally unrelated to that I can't help but remark, that Jane Russel looks great, doesn't she? Warm regards from Southern California,
Christina
Maybe I should add more pix of my adorable dogs. :o) It is variegated so maybe that will slow it down. I was surprised by how revealing some of the posters for that movie were, especially considering the time period. I love that she's not a starving supermodel. She did look amazing in that poster!!
DeleteIt looks like such a sweet little thing... for now. Mint is great because it never needs much help from the gardener and as long as it has room it should be good there.
ReplyDeleteBy mid-July it will probably be a beast but it's not hard to pull. I love the scent, the variegated leaves, and it's popular with the pollinators. :o)
DeleteVida La Loca for sure. I don't know if your are brave or what. I have some sort of herb that a previous owner planted that will plague the garden forever. Good luck. Get back with us at the end of next summer. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI"ll probably have a back hoe in the garden digging it all out. Thuggish plants can be used effectively, not that this is an example. ;o)
DeleteYou wild and crazy girl!! Hey you might just start a whole new rethink on mint. I love any plant that smells nice. I have lots of lemon balm - love it's fresh citrus odor. I have a lot of very pungent catnip too, leftover from our cat days. It really smells like that special crop BC is famous for. Mind you there are a lot of "urban gardeners" of that one in our climate zone! Love the poster!!
ReplyDeleteLemon balm takes over! But so does mint. It would be fun to plant them next to each other and watch them battle it out. We could sell tickets. ;o)
DeleteHa! Good luck on this one friend!! I will be interested to hear how the mint behaves! Sometimes we just have to roll with our impulses! And thanks for all your suggestions with my space...after you mentioned someone getting stuck in thorns I started thinking maybe clematis was the way to go!! Happy week friend! Nicole xo
ReplyDeleteKids bounce better when they fall into grasses rather than roses. Or you could plant mint.... :o)
Delete¡Buona Fortuna amiga mia! Es un pocito pericoloso en la Casa.....I can't wait to hear from you next summer! As long as you aren't pulling your back out pulling out the mint...that's what happened to me. Dang stuff went everywhere. Wow, Jane Russell was a stunner, wasn't she?
ReplyDeleteI think that says "Good luck, my friend. It's a little crazy at the Casa". Mi italiano no es muy bueno. The mint is already plotting its takeover but it keeps life interesting. If I looked like Jane Russell, I'd walk around naked. I love that she had a normal body and wasn't stick thin.
DeleteYou're a wild woman! I'm seeing a Reefer Madness type of scenario. It started with one bad choice and now her garden is hooked on the stuff. I planted a variegated mint in the ground in a fairly dry spot a couple of years ago and it hasn't bulked up much at all. Ginger mint grows in some of my beds as well and pulls very easily. One must have sufficient quantities to make mojitos all summer long. Although, perhaps you're more of a mint julep on the veranda kind of gal.
ReplyDeleteA mint julep is a bit sedate for me. I'd rather have a mai tai or a suffering bastard. I think all women should have a few good stories to tell about suffering bastards. As for the mint, it's my favorite flavor especially when mixed with dark chocolate.
DeleteIt could be worse: at least it smells good when you pull it out or mow it off, and is useful in making several delicious cocktails. Plus, as you say, the bees adore it. Worries, shmurries.... :-) -Beth
ReplyDeleteLife is too short to always live carefully. :o)
DeleteGreat blog- haven't stopped smiling yet this morning at your adventures. From this side of the pond mint means roast iamb on Sunday's with pilesof tasty vegetables. Mines firmly confined to pots cos I only have the 1 acre for it to colonise before it hits the river ���� good luck.
ReplyDeleteMy mint has already submitted a formal request/threat for more space and is threatening the neighbors lawn and my dogs. A bit of an attitude, I'd say. ;o)
DeleteThat was funny, I keep mine in pots, well done you for unleashing mint into the border, your bees will love it!
ReplyDeleteMy orange mint escaped its pot and is lurking in the geraniums. But it smells so good....
DeleteBreaking the rules is such fun, hope you aren't setting yourself up for one of those near-endless battles for containment. Such a pretty plant though...
ReplyDeleteA year from now it will have its head on my pillow.
DeleteA little adventure is always fun. Hope the mint has a little discipline and works exactly as you imagined it.
ReplyDeleteAn adventure is exactly what this is. :o)
DeleteOh, you are a daring woman, Tammy! I always admire the native mints I see in other gardens, but I haven't been brave enough to plant one mint here. Maybe I should take the plunge--I have enough other thugs they might keep a mint from taking over their turf.
ReplyDeleteI have two native mints. One is very well behaved while the other spreads. But the pollinators go nuts for them so it's worth it. I'd add one next to another assertive plant to help keep it in line.
DeleteI don't care what anybody thinks - I love me some mint. Lots of mint!
ReplyDeleteMe, too!!
DeleteHahahaha, I LOVE this!!! Struth.....you are braver than me, I did that a few years ago and the stuff took over my lawn, maybe I should plant that instead of grass, it may be tougher and stop the dogs ripping it up!xxx
ReplyDeleteJust think of great it will smell to walk across. I overseed my lawn with clover to fill in the spots the dogs dig up. I try patching with pieces of sod I've dug from other areas that I've converted to garden, but when I run out of grass, the clover always works. The mint will rampage through the garden like a puppy but at least I know what to expect.
DeleteSometimes one must throw caution to the wind, break the rules, do as you must, plant what you will. I applaud you, brave, brave gardener. Wishing you a mint-o-licious garden!
ReplyDeleteThanks! The entire story behind this is pretty dull. I needed to find a spot for some balloon flowers I had growing in a pot. So I dug up a few plants from a large grouping of Persian cornflower in the rain garden, gave them to my neighbor, and added the balloon flowers, which would look better, anyway. But then I had a gap in front of the balloon flowers. I just hate a gap. So in the spirit of being spontaneous, I added the mint. I tend to be fairly analytical and methodical when I garden but this catered to my goofy/creative side. Writing this saucy post was more fun than explaining my urge to fill an empty spot. :o)
DeleteYou did WHAT!? Girl, you bat shit CRAZY? Mint in the GROUND?! It's gonna replace your LAWN, woman! I hope you don't come to regret it. I look forward to hearing about how it gets on in your garden.
ReplyDeleteBat shit crazy is my favorite outfit. I wear it every day. ;o)
DeleteMorning glories are very well behaved here. I thought adding mint was a better option than skydiving.
ReplyDeleteThe pollinators absolutely do love it, so why not? There are worse ways to be reckless.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!!
DeleteWell maybe not such a bad thing. I had my mint planted in pots, which I usually moved to a sheltered location for the winter, but last year they didn't get moved, and we had a few days of hard frost in Dec and they all died. We had to buy dried mint flakes at the store a couple of days ago for the peas. We couldn't believe the price! I think I will plant mint again next year. I'm keeping mine in containers, though!
ReplyDeleteA lot of dried herbs are really expensive when you look at the price per pound. This definitely won't die in a frost. I'll have it forever.
DeleteI've got a mint relative - Melissa officinalis (http://www.floridata.com/ref/m/meli_off.cfm) - roaming through my front foundation bed as I type.
ReplyDeleteLovin it so far.
Who bad?
We bad.
I've had lemon balm take over a few garden beds, too. But it smelled so wonderful I forgave it every time. ;o)
DeleteOh well, at least you get something nice to pull out, beats those prickly weeds I keep pulling out of my flower beds. Good luck, I hope it behaves :-)
ReplyDeleteI'll take mint over prickles any day!
DeleteLemon Balm. Say no more.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should rename my blog Thug Nation: the Garden Gangstas and show a pic of all my lovely baddies.
DeleteGuess what. I did too. It's a special kind of mint called, Mentha asiatica “Asian Mint." I have no regrets either. The bees will be thanking me all summer.
ReplyDeleteI also added a super short mint called Corsican mint in between my stepping stones. No regrets at all!
DeleteDalliances with rogues and rascals make for much more entertaining stories than some dull happy ever after. Your audience awaits.
ReplyDeleteYou are a woman after my own heart, Ricki!
DeleteIt does sound like an act of madness. On the other hand, I have the supposedly uncontrollable Bishop's Weed in my back garden and I keep it in check pretty easily.
ReplyDeleteYou do? That's incredible! I couldn't get rid of it in my NY garden. But I do love how pretty it is.
DeleteIt was as entertaining to read some of the comments about doing this "bad" thing. I love your response: "Bat shit crazy is my favorite outfit." Ricki's comment is wonderful too. So true that rascals and rogues make for better stories. I am sure there are lots more stories to come from planting mint in the garden.
ReplyDeleteThis post has been really fun. :o) I came across the poster of Jane Russell while searching for something else and knew it was perfect for the sassy vibe I was going for. Every garden should have some rascals. ;o)
DeleteOMG !!!! girl you are BAD BAD BAD !! LOL
ReplyDeleteYou gave me such a great snort giggle this morning (Saturday) ... especially the Jane " look at my girls" picture ... hehehehe
We all know what you are up to with the mint .. you are going to drop down and roll on it full body mode just like any self respecting cat ! haha
This romance is going to be very tricky ... I will be keeping an eye on it for sure ... snicker snort LAUGH !
Joy ;-)
Always being good is so overrated. ;o) I have no doubt that picture of Jane was photographed/drawn by a man! But I love that she's not a starving starlet. As far as personalities go, I'm much more of a dog. My husband once commented that I was an outdoor dog while he is an indoor cat, which explained everything. I think that mint would be wonderful in a body lotion.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a such bad thing Tammy!
ReplyDeleteI also threw out Ajuga of the phlox beds and no regrets!
I added some ajuga to my shade garden this summer. I hope it spreads since it's such a lovely plant.
DeleteSo naughty. You won't regret it though. Mint in the garden is lovely - we have lots of it to prove it!
ReplyDeleteI love mint, which makes it easy to forgive. :o)
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Thank you so much!
DeleteYou are brave! I'll be looking for your "I hate mint" post at some future date :) Just kidding, the part I like best is pulling out the unwanted strands that are taking over. They fill the air with their glorious scent!
ReplyDeleteI already have a patch of escaped orange mint that I was pulling today. The smell is just sublime. Maybe I let it grow just to pull it. :o)
DeleteNo I you didn't! (Just kidding.) Why can't more plants be as tough as mint?
ReplyDeleteI did and I loved every second of it. ;o)
DeleteI did exactly the same reckless thing ... and NOTHING happened! Well, it grew a bit I suppose but the beanstalk thing never happened! I must admit I was a bit disappointed!
ReplyDeleteWow! Now that's interesting! What restrained its growth?
DeleteWhat??? Now I know for sure that you are not only brave but CRAZY....I hope you have the time to keep it in check....wishing you well.
ReplyDelete