Howdy all! I'm in the process of putting together a mint garden. I've found peppermint, spearmint, and applemint plants, but I haven't been able to find a source for wintergreen (Gaultheria procumpens, if you want to get technical). I prefer nursery stock to wild plants if possible.

Thanks.

P.S. The drought forecasted by the "experts" for this year from La Nina seems to be coming true , at least for the South. (North Alabama here) How is everyone else doing? I've been able to mulch heavily and water every other day or so .....my garden is doing good with really no bug problems to speak of. This is my sixth year of strict organic measures...compost,mulch,companion planting, so maybe that has helped me.

-- Jason (AJAMA5@netscape.net), July 14, 2000

Answers

No help with the mint , but us up North can send you some rain ! Fields are still wet , corn is very late , haying is late and the garden is small .Not only rain but cool temps.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), July 14, 2000.

Can't help you with the wintergreen-I'd like to have a plant or two. After a lot of draught the last 4 years in SE Indiana, we've had quite a bit of rain. You might want to get chocolate mint and lemon mint for you mint garden. Tough to decide which one of those is better.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), July 14, 2000.

Jason, I have every kind of mint ya can think of---but mine-- who knows if it is "nursery stock", as all my mint has been started from starts from friends! It seems to be hard for my friends, I pass starts on to/ to keep their starts going, so I don't know how on earth I'd get you any starts & them live!!! Plus, as I said, all my starts came from other friends! If you garden; organic-- I know of no nurseries in this area that don't use chemicals---one reason I get my starts from friends who raise things without chemicals the same as I do! Maybe someone up the road has some starts for you! best wishes-- Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), July 14, 2000.

Jason, you could try Richters (www.richters.com) phone 905-640-6677 or Horizon Herbs (http://www.chatlink.com/~herbseed ) Horizon's phone # is (541) 846-6704 They are real nice people.

Be careful to plant each of your mint family plants far from each of the other ones; otherwise they could cross pollinate and interbreed. Mint like a lot of water. They also prefer a rich soil. Good luck with your garden.

-- Rags in Alabama (RaggedReb@aol.com), July 14, 2000.

Jason, I looked in the Nichols catalog and couldn't find wintergreen, but they do have several kinds of mints. Their e-mail address is nichols@gardennursery.com

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), July 14, 2000.

my friend ownes a nursery and i think she has it, if you e mail me with yor address i can see if can ship it. we live in n maryland, ups is the best with plants .

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), July 14, 2000.

Cindy, I'd love to have some chocolate and lemon mint....never heard of those. Where did you get them?

-- Jason (AJAMA5@netscape.net), July 15, 2000.

Thanks to everyone for the leads......Richters was a fabulous source for mints! I've never heard of half of them! Now I'll really have a mint patch! Thanks again.

-- Jason (AJAMA5@netscape.net), July 15, 2000.

Jason, after you make your mint garden you might want to make a lemon garden. I have 7 lemon herbs in mine and waiting on the other two that I know about. The chocolate mint grows at a friends house and I got the lemon mint locally. I planted some yellow flowers in my lemon garden. Are you going to plant flowers in your mint garden, if so what kind?

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), July 15, 2000.

Hmmmm....a lemon garden....sounds pretty good! I know of lemon balm, lemon basil, and some plant that grows in my yard (it has a 3 leaf clover shape......about 1/4 inch big.....with yellow flowers about the same size.....my wife introduced me to it....said she picked and ate them as a child..VERY lemony!). What are some more? As far as flowers.....that's my wife's department...I'm sure there will be some!

Jason

-- Jason (AJAMA5@netscape.net), July 15, 2000.

It sounds like what you're describing is sweet grass. Lemon thyme, sage, southernwood, sorrel, mint, balm, verbena, grass, the Japanese beetle really like balm and southernwood. My lemon garden is next to one of my sunflower houses. It smells so nice on a sunny summer afternoon.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), July 19, 2000.