Reasons To Grow Mint
Mint is perhaps one of the most misunderstood herbs in the garden. They get a bad rap for being invasive plants that tend to take over a garden. And if you’re allergic to this plant, then you probably should stay away from it.
But for all its faults, it does have its merits. It has many uses in and around the house, not just the garden. This makes it a staple in many herb lovers’ garden beds.
If you haven’t thought of growing mint in your own garden yet, then listen up because I have a bunch of reasons to grow mint that might turn you into a convert. Let’s get started!
Can Be Contained
Let’s get the first of the reasons to grow mint out of the way first. There are people who refuse to grow mint because they are aggressive and have the tendency to spread. That’s just how nature designed them. But the good news is they ca be contained.
If you’re planting mint and you’re worried they might invade your garden beds, then it’s best to grow them in containers. They will easily thrive here. This way, you can contain them and not worry about any unwanted growth.
Grow From Cuttings
Mint is like a gift that keeps on giving. They can easily re-form roots from cuttings so it’s simple to re-grow them. Simply take a portion of mint you’ve cut from the main plant and put it in water until it grows roots. After this, you can transplant it.
Alternatively, you can just stick your cuttings into some soil and it will re-root all by itself.
Partial Shade Or In Full Sun
When I say mint is easy to grow, I really mean mint is easy to grow. It doesn’t matter if you plant your mint in a sunny part of your garden or if you keep small pots of them indoors on a kitchen counter. You can still grow healthy and beautiful mint as long as it is in a pot with great drainage. In fact too much sunlight can scorch mint leaves.
No Fuss
More reasons to grow mint: it is an incredibly durable plant. So much so that even if you are, or someone you know is a lazy gardener, it will still survive. Being a naturally aggressive plant, it can take a lot. You can just leave it to do its thing and it will still grow even without much input from you. You can forget to water it for a few months and it will still live.
Mint is an excellent plant to take care of for people who supposedly don’t have a green thumb and have killed even cacti.
It Attracts Beneficial Insects And Repels Bad Ones
A living, breathing garden requires the help of little critters from time to time. Fortunately, mint has the ability to attract insects and bugs that are beneficial for any garden. This includes bees, beneficial wasps, tachinid flies, and aphid eaters.
On the other hand, mint’s scent has the ability to repel nasty bugs like mosquitoes, ants, flies, fleas, moths, and more.
You Can Use It To Beautify Your Home
Another of the reasons to use mint is that it can also serve as an accent to any fresh flowers you use to decorate your home. Just take a bunch of leaves and pair them with the bright blooms from your garden for a visually appealing flower arrangement with a fresh scent.
You Can Use It As Medicine
Mint is considered a healing herb as it can soothe many ailments. It is rich in nutrients including vitamin A, iron, manganese, and folate. You can use it to improve irritable bowel syndrome, relieve indigestion, improve brain function, decrease breastfeeding pain, improve cold symptoms, and mask bad breath,
You Can Cook With It
It goes without saying that this aromatic herb has a special place in the kitchen. You can easily use it to make tasty cocktails like mojitos or you can steep a bunch of leaves to make tea.
You Might Also Like: 10 Tips For A Successful Tea Garden
If you bake, you can use your mint plants to make your own mint extract. All you need is to place a bunch of clean mint leaves in a jar and fill it with 20 proof liquor. Leave it for a week or so and you’ll have mint extract ready in no time.
Of course you can also use mint in a wide variety of recipes. You can mix it in salads, in noodle dishes, in tabbouleh, in ice cream, in cookies, and so much more!
This a wonderfully versatile herb that deserves a spot in every garden. It’s tasty, it repels bugs, and best if all, you can grow It easily. If you have a love-hate relationship with this herb, I hope the reasons I’ve shared above will make you love this versatile plant more.
Do you have more reasons to grow mint that you can share with us? Or maybe some tips for growing or using it around the house? Let me know in the comments below!
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