Containers aroiund mint

I've got a source of terra cotta chimney flues 8"x12" and was thinking about planting herbs in them -- specifically mints. Since I'll be redoing the WHOLE herb garden after my lovely dog 12yo Singer, dug up the whole garden, stem to stern, top to bottom after she apparently learned how to open the gate to the herb garden after all these years. Oh, joy.

Besides mints, what else would benefit from containerizing?

Make sure you have room to walk around them- you are sure she actually opened the gate and it wasn't accidentally left unlatched? Think of all the fun you gave that ol dog gettin to dig in a garden just like you do! Chuckl, hope you didn't punish her- the whole garden! LoL! She was a busy gardener!

Sorry, I know it was a shock, any plants with an uprightish growth habit can handle containers- tho terra cotta planters keep the soil sucked dry of moisture if any have higher moisture needs I wouldn't put them in those pots, sprawling plants will escape the pots if possible tho

Yes, she did open the gate because I saw her do it 5 minutes later while I was trying desperately to salvage something. Heard the latch flip and she was instantly rolling around in what was left.

My lovely. wonderful, ungrateful, born-into-my-hands nearly 13 years ago, did I mention ungrateful, darling, sweetheart herb destroyer. Humph.

No, you can't yell at old dogs, you cherish every day you still have them. She's spry and happy and smells wonderful sleeping under my desk sprawled upside down, she who must destroy all herbs.

The 14yo dog just peers at her as if trying to puzzle out why she smells like an herb garden. But the 14yo was GOOD, she was APPRECIATIVE, and she doesn't do things like the Destroyer of Gardens. Course she doesn't do much more than sleep, eat, and toddle around after me for morning bloom check.

Seems like they know when you have your hands the fullest, chuckl, if anything became missing permanently into the Destroyer Of Gardens herbal spa, let us know and we'll try to get you more!

Some terra cotta chimney flues are not like terra cotta pots because they have a fired on glaze and don't suck the water out of the soil like the more porous pots do. I have used them in my herb garden for years and they work very well for smaller plants.

I have oregano, creeping thyme, lavender, mints and basil in them. The mints need pulled out and cut down every year-I have been moving mine to 2 gallon plastic pots with the bottoms cut off, buried with two inches of rim exposed and I can wait a few years before the mint is trying to burst out at the seams! The basil has overwhelmed the flue as you can see in the pic but if I was more attentive to pruning it back it would be better!!
I have mine in groups of three buried at staggered heighths. Sometimes I plant all three in the group with the same plant sometimes I mix it up- always looks nice I think. I have planted Nasturtiums and white Allysum in them for some color -beautiful!
1st pic is when my herb garden was new, 2nd pic more mature plantings, 3rd pic- Basil going wild!!

Another use we found was in the pond- set upright a plant basket just fits on top and can put a marginal plant anywhere in the pond. Laid on their side they make a great tunnel for the fish to hide in. They don't leach lime into the water like concrete blocks do and their darker color blends better too.

Ours are square, about 8 inches across and 30 inches high. They are about an inch thick and I've left them out-either in the pond or filled with soil in the garden all winter for at least 10 years and none have broken.

If you ever see them discarded -drag them home- they are a great feature in your garden! MWhit

That looks amazing! We have a couple of recycled-type housewares stores here, I'm going to keep an eye out for fired teracotta odds and ends.

I had to laugh about the dog. Mine has sampled nearly everything in my (tiny, container) garden. A friend's cat jumped out of their window and was saved by landing in a giant rosemary bush. They said he was scared half to death, but smelled like roast chicken. :)