Peppermint - Mentha x piperita
500 Seeds
Sow February - June
Hardy perenial.
Height 60cm (24in), spread indefinate.
Sow seeds underglass 0.5cm (¼") deep, in small trays of compost and lightly cover the seeds with a sprinkling of compost, and place at a temperature of 15-20°C.
Prick out seedlings individually to 7cm (3") pots, once large enough to handle. Grow on in cooler conditions, then gradually harden off plants in a cold frame before planting out after risk of frost has passed. Transplant to final positions 30cm (12in) apart or into larger containers in a semi-shaded part of the garden.
Oval, pointed, aromatic, dark green leaves with wrinkles from deep reddish veins. Square, green stem with branching in the upper part. The flowers are purple, with a four-lobed corolla; they are produced in whorls around the stem, forming thick, blunt spikes. Can be very invasive, so best planted in a container.
Peppermint
From the family Lamiaceae.
The mints are a large and popular family of herbs, cultivated for their intensely flavoured, cool-tasting leaves. Mint has been cultivated for its medicinal properties since ancient times and has been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 1000bc. The Romans crowned themselves with peppermint and the poet Ovid referred to mint as a symbol of hospitality. The Greeks believed peppermint could clear the voice and cure hiccups. It was thought to be a remedy for dog bites when combined with salt. The colonists brought peppermint to America for medicinal use.