Hello again from the Garden (2)

Mint is the second herb we’re going to look at. Again, it has a very uplifting and rrefreshing scent. Just crush a few leaves and breathe it in, if your head is wrecked from doing too much homework, or if you’ve a head cold. A cup of mint tea can help settle an upset tummy (just pour some hot water over some leaves – ask an adult to help) and of course mint is used in lots of hand creams, shower gels and the like. (If you see menthol on the list of ingredients that’s mint!)

Mint is very easy to grow from cuttings. Just cut below a pair of leaves with a scissors (again ask an adult for help).
Tidy up the parent plant by cutting off the stalk to just above a pair of leaves (if you leave the stalk it will rot).
Pull downwards to remove the lower leaves and place in a jar of water in a warm place.
After a couple of weeks, roots will start to appear. On the left side of the picture you can see some rooted mint cuttings and on the right side are some rooted cuttings of lemon balm using the same procedure. Now, just pot up the rooted cuttings. Water and you’re done.


The roots of mint are inclined to ramble if planted in the ground, so to contain it, plant it in a pot first and sink it in the ground.