Mint Peppermint
Mint Peppermint
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Mint 'Peppermint' Seeds
If you love fresh herbal tea, this is the variety you need. Unlike standard Spearmint (which is great for potatoes), Peppermint has a high menthol content, giving it that distinct, icy-hot "candy cane" flavour that clears the head and settles the stomach.
It is a handsome plant with dark green, often purple-flushed leaves and reddish stems. It produces small spikes of lilac flowers in late summer which are beloved by pollinators. Whether you are brewing fresh tea, making peppermint creams, or muddling it into a Mojito, this is a kitchen garden essential that returns faithfully year after year.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
Peppermint is a vigorous Hardy Perennial.
It dies back to the ground in winter and shoots up again every spring.
The Container Rule: Mint has invasive roots (runners) that spread rapidly underground. Never plant it directly in a flower border or it will take over! Always grow it in a pot or container to keep the roots contained.
Top Tip: For the best flavour, harvest the leaves before the plant flowers. Once it flowers, the leaves can become slightly bitter.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Mint is easy to grow but seeds are tiny and need light.
Germination:
Sow indoors from February to May. Scatter the dust-like seeds on the surface of moist compost. Do not cover them (or use a very light dusting of vermiculite), as they need light to germinate. Keep warm (18-20°C). Germination takes 14-21 days.
Where to Sow:
It tolerates sun or partial shade. It prefers rich, moist soil and hates drying out completely. A pot near the kitchen door or on a semi-shady patio is perfect.
Care While Growing:
Water regularly in summer. To keep the plant producing fresh, tender leaves, shear it back hard after the first flush of growth in mid-summer. Divide the pot every 2 years to stop it becoming pot-bound.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Mentha x piperita |
| Common Name | Peppermint |
| Hardiness | H5 (Hardy - withstands cold winters) |
| Light Required | Sun / Part Shade ⛅ |
| Height | ↕️ 30cm - 60cm |
| Spread | ↔️ Indefinite (Invasive!) |
| Spacing | 🌱 Plant in pots |
| Great for | 🫖 Herbal Tea 🍸 Cocktails 🐝 Pollinators 🏺 Containers |
| Seed Count | Approx. 500 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
Since Peppermint is best grown in pots, pair it with other container-loving herbs or flowers:
- 🍋 Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): The Tea Garden Pair. Both Mint and Lemon Balm are vigorous, leafy herbs that love similar conditions (moist soil, slight shade). Grow them in separate pots side-by-side for the ultimate herbal tea station.
- 🌼 Calendula 'Art Shades': The Colour Pop. The bright orange of Calendula looks fantastic against the dark, purplish-green leaves of Peppermint. Both are edible, making for a beautiful and useful container display.
📅 Sowing & Harvesting Calendar
Sow indoors in spring. Harvest leaves from late spring to autumn.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Indoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | ||||||||
| Harvest | ✂️ | ✂️ | ✂️ | ✂️ | ✂️ | ✂️ |
⚠️ Containment Strategy
Mint roots are unstoppable! Even if you want it in a border, plant it inside a bucket with the bottom cut out and sunk into the soil. This stops the runners spreading horizontally while allowing deep roots to go down.
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
Peppermint is a vital source of nectar for pollinators in late summer. It is listed on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list and is particularly loved by hoverflies and small solitary bees.
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