Mint

Our garden has its wild corners and our mint lives on the wild side of the hedge, every now and then it does try to spread through the hedge and when it does it finds that it has reached the lawn and it promptly gets mown down making a glorious smell and keeping the ants away. Personally I find keeping on top of the clover and moss more problematic then the mint. It is the questing roots that give it a reputation as a bit of a spreader. To keep it in its place simply plant in a pot or between solid structures such as a wall and a path. As it is such a good culinary plant then a pop in a sunny spot near to the kitchen is perfect. A few leaves chopped up and added to a salad really does add a burst of fresh flavour. Many people pop mint in with their new potatoes but a bit of mint popped into cooking rice (along with a splash of lemon) will give a fragrant dish: a perfect partner to milder spicy food. You can still always have mint available by freezing or drying. Tie a bunch of mint together and hang in a warm dry place where air can circulate but out of direct sunlight. When the leaves are completely dry you can store them in an airtight jar ready to crush as you need them. Freezing herbs is very quick and easy – finely chop into ice-cube trays, cover with water and freeze to make minty cubes. Pennyroyal has a strong peppermint flavour and smell and I use it more sparingly then other mints. In the garden it is a low growing semi-evergreen and as hardy as can be. It is also very off putting to ants. Our Peppermint is much taller (to 60cm) with a strong smell but a less intense flavour than Pennyroyal. Finally we have Spearmint, which is also known as common or garden mint. Again this can grow tall (50cm) and is probably the best choice for a wide range of kitchen uses including homemade mint sauce and jelly. Each packet has at least 100 seeds for just 50p