Jim Westerfield Mints

I just ordered 6 Jim Westerfield Mints from www.fragrantherbs.com and I am SOO excited!!
I'll be getting:
*Marilyns Sweet Salad
*Hillarys Sweet Lemon
*Candy Lime (Jim recommends to take a sprig of this one, wet w/ water, shake off excess and then dip in sugar and eat! Yahoo, does that sound GOOD or what?!?
*Sweet Pear
*Candied Fruit
*Pink Candy Pops
They didn't have Margarita Mint so I will have to get that one from another vendor.
I also want to get Berries & Cream
Anybody else growing any of these?
For more info on Jim Westerfield Mints go to:
http://www.herbcompanion.com/view.asp?page=stories&issue=april&may=mints

yum, got all those. I just love mints too. I noticed fragrantfields has a bunch of mints, how come you didn't get any of the others. they have several I don't have. But i'm currently working on 2 trades for about 7 new mints, gonna go check out that web site on information for them thanks, I heard that richters is going to be coming out with some new westerfield mints in 2005 can't wait. They told me this on the phone not long ago.

kathy_ann

KA
I never purchased from FF before so I thought I'd see how I liked their plants before getting alot of them. I am sure I will be getting more in the future. :)
Thanks for the heads up on Richters!
BTW www.mountainvalleygrowers.com is suppose to have a sale starting around Aug. 30th and I believe they have some JW mints too and lots of other cool herbs.

CR your link to fragrantherbs.com doesn't work, sure it's the right one?

kathy

DUH!! That could be because its www.fragrantfields.com
Sorry, try that.

oh ok, I went there, their just about out of all their mints now, they had a ton of them earlier in the season, I guess you snooze you loose LOL

kathy

Update:
The potted herbs I got late in the summer from Fragrant Fields looked pretty scruffy but I'm happy to report they are all doing nicely now that they are planted in the ground. I did complain to FF about them and they said they were pot bound and to give them a chance and they would replace them if they didn't thrive.
So I will order from them again.
I cannot wait until next summer!

yeah, when mints get pot bound, they'll die off at the top part, but still be alive under the soil.

kathy

I'm very interested in mints and wonder where I should purchase?? Which ones are the best?? How early can they go in the ground and should they be planted next door to each other (side by side)? TIA!!!

There are number on online nurseries where you can buy mints and of course there are 2 links above for herb nurseries that carry the JW Mints.
You would plant them when you normally plant things in the Spring. And yes you can plant them side by side but they spread rapidly so if you don't want them to cross pollinate (keep them dead headed) and if you don't want them all growing together so you don't know who is who you will have to devise some sort of way to keep them separate.
Most mints are considered "invasive" and very easy to grow.

Thanks!! I think I always killed mine by forgetting where they were planted and putting something on top of them. I'm more organized now and believe I can corner any number of them, which should help. I appreciate your post!!!

You know, I got 3/4 of my mints from trades. not buying on line. Their super easy to root if you cut the fresh growth.

kathy

What exactly are the JW mints??

This guy hyberdises I guess that's what you'd call it, makes his own varieties of mints, he sells them to two diff places that I know of, richters and the place above fragrant fields. Thier his exclusivly, your not suppose to sell them Although I have on ebay, but I don't sell to make a living off them, I list them that they are my personal mints and i'm just dividing them, and his mints come from divisions, Youknow what i'm saying. I've seen other nurseries propigate and sell his mints though
kathy

what's a person suppose to do when their 4 foot around and taking over, why not sell divisions off them, LOL,

but your not suppose to be making a profit off his mints. I see it done all the time though

kathy ann no offense intended but it is against the law to sell plants listed as registered/not for propagation or trademarked or whatever they call it with plants,
I forget now.
Even if you aren't getting rich selling other peoples trademarked plants or know that other people are doing it doesn't make it legal or ethically okay.

Ok, your so right,

thanks for informing me

kathy

Hey, are you guys ready for mints? I've looked over fragrantfields, and holy moly the mints galore, lots of ones I don't have and I thought I had all them LOL

kathy

going to place my order monday

thanks for the heads up Kathy!

no problem, I didn't want to do all the drooling by myself LOL

kathy have you ordered yet?
I only ordered Chocolate Mint (not a JW mint... but gotta have it!) and Marshmallow Mint this time since I ordered several of the JW mints last year. One can only grow so many Mint plants but....Hazelmint sounds intertesting! ;)
I also ordered 2 "Arp" Rosemary...hardy to Z6 w/ protection and "Majorca" Rosemary...supppose to be hardy too but I wonder.
Most Rosemary is tender in Z5-6. :(

I've lost several rosemaries here, , only one keeps coming back, and I'm not really sure of the name of it, other than rosemary. I did place my order, got 5 of them I didn't have, and bought the coconut thyme too, I think that was it. she's very reasonable on prices and shipping charges. I've bought from her once before, and it was a good experience so we'll see. I think I might have about 58 mints now LOL. my passion to say the least. always looking for more, I have to keep them wacked down with the weedeater so they don't flower, don't want any crosses there, and they are all in the ground except for about 6 or 7 which I haven't had time to plant yet. My chocolate is in a bad place and doesn't grow fast for me, lots of folks have asked and I just can't get it to grow fast, others have to dig it up and throw it out they have so much of it. so I've moved some of it somewhere else as with some of the other mints that weren't doing well, I moved the banana, grapefruit, and one other one too. I have tons of iced hazelnut latte, and that stuff is in half shade, but it's soooo happy. I do head to richters everyonce in a while to see if they put up any new mints, they were supposeto be coming up with some new jim westerfield mints but I haven't seen them listed on their site yet, They said in 2005 they would have new ones. but not yet.

WOW Kathy! You are The Mint Lady hey?!?
Of the ones you have, which would you say has the distinct scent that it is named after. Please recommend and "must haves".
I have candy pops, hilarys salad, pear, lime..... and..... my menopause brain is failing me for the moment.... UGH! ... will have to go read labels.

"Arp" is the most hardy rosemary that I have heard about. I do have one Rosemary I potted up and brought in the house last Fall and surprisingly its still alive.

Richters sure has the variety but pricey. Its seems to me they had some new mints when I looked recently...maybe not JW but their own hybrids that sounded very interesting.

Well, The ones truly wonderful to have, and smell true to the name, are

Lavender,
banana
grapefruit
chocolate

oh jeese have to go look at my list hold on LOL
Sweet pear is a nice one
Honestly that' s it for me, those are my faves as far as scentes matching the names. and darn it my worst growers too, those 4 up a bove, will not grow, I wish they would grow like the pineapple and apple, I have a 5 foot area of about l0 diff mints, would be wonderful if the banana would be a 5 foot area.
Now A brand new mint I came across is basil mint, and it's wonderful. But I received it in a trade, and don't know where to buy it at though.

I like the lime varieties, the regular lime is pungent, tart, I like that. They all smell wonderful. but some are close in scents and looks too.

OH --- MY --- GOSH...talk about a "senior moment"!!! ;-O
I forgot how old this post is...I could of scrolled UP to see what mints I ordered last year. LIKE DUH!! LOL LOL :))

I will keep those mints in mind Kathy. They sound yummy!
I don't think FF carrys any of those except for chocolate.
Is there any other vendors you would recommend for mints (and other herbs) besides Richters?
Do you have any recipes you use your mint for?

Honestly, I've never bought any mints anywhere but fragrant fields, all mine came from traders, very reliable mint collector traders LOL. I did order from richters once, they were poor looking though. never again LOL.

I use to make a chocolate mint soap LOL yum, it had choc scent brown bar of soap , brown lather and ground up chocolate mint in it. LOL, but I don't make it any more. I've made mint tea , I put peppermint in homemade salsa. I don't use it much unfortunately in cooking, Ishould but just don't think abou t it.
I ordered some herbs from well sweep herb farm once, the shipping was over 20.00. Never again. I complained too, didn't do anybody any good but me LOL.

Yep this post is really old. LOL, can't keep a good post down though. Sorry I can't help much on the vendors, i've acquired most from trades.

Kathy,
I have gotten mine from both
Richters and Fragrant Fields. My Richters plants were excellent. Mine are coming up slow right now. And we are having a real spring for once.
How do you grow yours? I have them all in pots. They were taking over everything when I just put the peppermint in the ground 6 or 7 years ago. I mean everywhere.
I didn't realize you had that many mints. Do you have a list? I would like to see what else you have.
I use mint in floral arrangements for the green and the smell.
They last fairly well.

Jenni! What a great idea to use them in bouquets!
Even a totally mint bouquet might be cool!

As for Mints reputation for being invasive, why can't you just dig up the unwanted extra? Thats what I do with other "invasive" type plants. Admittedly I have not had Mint for a long time. Have I forgotten how E-vil it is?! ;)
Kathy how do you deal with it? How do you keep the varieties separate if planted next to each other?

And if there are any mint traders here interested in the above varieties (see first post) that I have for trade and I'm looking for:
lavender,
banana
grapefruit
iced hazelmint
berries & cream
margarita mint

Kathy when you trade do you send a clump of rooted plant? How big of a clump or cutting do you send? I have never traded anything but roses and daylilys so don't know how it works with trading herbs.

Inever send cuttings unlesss I have no other to give, but rarely that happens, LOL, I send clumps of the mother plant, usually more than enough to get them going, unless it's small like the lavender.

Jennie, I grow them in the ground, except for a few I hadn't had time to plantyet, I have 2 acres up front here to plant on, so I have plenty of room. l0 acres total, The only 4 that are crowding each other are the pineapple, apple, algerian fruit, and true lemon, I have to pull them up and keep them seperate from each other.

I'm headed to take my daughter to town, I'll email you and jennie when I get home.

kathy

kathy_ann, please give me planting instructions for mints. All I know is 'full sun'. Is that correct in Arky and how do you keep them from growing together, or crossing?? Do you plant them in different beds?? TIA!!!!

Kathy,
How do you keep them from cross pollinating? I keep moving the pots farther apart to keep the bees from doing their thing.

I love mints but they are so invasive and you can never get rid of it once it takes hold. That's why I do pots---to keep them under control. But, they don't get as big as they could and that is the tradeoff I guess.

To keep mine from crossing, I don't let them flower, I weed wack them, and I haven't done this all the time and they still don't cross pollinate. Growing them in pots isn't really a good thing, they tend to rootbound and end up dying fast. I do have some in kind of like dappled shade that do well, like the hazelnut latte, but most prefer sun, I do keep themtrimmed, in the hot summer when they get leggy, I chop it all back, and they grow out fresh and new looking again, since I don't worry about having the flowers around, I can do this. if they get too close to each other I pull them up and toss them out. Yes you all are screamin now aren't you, She's throwing out her mints!! LOL
been really busy, havne't had time to email you guys but I will

kathy

Oh, I totally understand kathy_ann, I have some mint that I do not want, it's lemon balm, I find it harsh, but use it in summer drinks. The ones I don't want, grow forever, the ones I do want say bye-bye. I really haven't lost many, but they were ones I really wanted...I think everyone is busy this time of the year. I'm taking a break, beautiful weather, so I'll be back at it after I finish my mint tea...

This message was edited Apr 15, 2005 12:31 PM

Does anybody know how to make mint tea using fresh leaves?

How much fresh mint would you need to infuse mint flavor in ice tea made with black tea?
I bet sprigs of mint and lemon or lime slices in a pitcher of ice tea would make a nice presentaion.

it doesn't take much believe it or not to flavor the tea, I've used the hillary sweet lemon to make tea, just used 3 or 4 tips with 5 or 6 leaves on them, that made it quite strong enough for me LOL No one liked it but me too, they don't like to try diff things though. go figure. LOL

kathy

Did you get my private message cottage_rose

Cottage_Rose, I drink hot tea daily, as does my hubby. We like our tea STRONG. For cold drinks, a sprig of your fav mint in tea is okay (I use several for myself) and always be sure to crunch some of the leaves so it smells stronger. If you don't, sometimes you can hardly smell it. To brew a tea, you can wash the leaves and stems and toss it in hot water, until your kettle sings, then turn it off to brew. When it's the flavor you like, strain it into your cup or mug. We like using a tea like black tea and adding mint to it or regular Lipton tea. Drink it hot or cold, we brew it the same way. For us, it takes lots of fresh mint to make tea strong enough for us. I'd love to hear how others make their mints drinks. TIA!!!!

Kathy Ann and Sherry...thanks for the tea making tips!

Kathy Ann I sent a reply to your PM :)

I love the marshmallow mint steeped with tea bags. Again, I am the only one that does. I also just add a few sprigs of peppermint with tea bags and steep them. Oh, this is ice tea.

I let my mints flower because I like to use the flowers and mints in boquets. They add some color and smell.

I think I will transfer my mints to larger pots--the problem may be they are rootbound. Didn't think of this.
Thanks Kathy.
ps. the scented geraniums are doing well. Thank you again.
And they fixed the greenhouse at school after all. I don't know if I want to try that again.
Jennie

Jennie, I bought scented geraniums and they bit the dust, it was several years ago, before I spent all my time in the gardens. I can grow super regular geraniums. Wonder what the problem was. Do you have a secret for growing them?? Oh, yes, I could NOT smell the geraniums...wonder what that was about??

Sherry,
Ohio had an ice storm Dec. 23 and the school was without power for a couple of days. I lost all of the plants that I had put in there to winter over. Two years ago, it got very warm in Feb. and the automatic vent didn't open and everything got cooked. Last year everything did well.
I don't understand why your geraniums didn't smell. They always seem to have a strong odor when I have them.
Kathy replaced three of the scenteds for me so I now have a couple again.