Lemon MintThough not as strong as peppermint, this plant has a distinct herbal scent with hints of citrus, making it popular in flower and herb gardens around the world. The lavender flowers are a favorite of butterflies and hummingbirds. Cultivating: Start 7-9 weeks before the last frost. Transplant into larger containers when you see the first true leaves. For outdoor sowing wait until the last frost. sow seeds thinly and barely cover with soil. Harvest: To use fresh flowers, harvest when the flowers are completely open. Either harvest individual flowers or cut the stems to 6" below the flowers. Uses: Eat the minty and spicy flowers by adding the petals to salads or mild fish or using them to garnish drinks and desserts. The leaves can be used to flavor cooked foods, salads, and tea. Seed Saving: When the flower spikes begin to dry and turn brown, remove them and spread them out to dry; thresh them to remove the seed. Shaking the entire plant's seed heads into a container is also effective, but the process should be repeated daily until all the seed has matured. Store the seed in a cool, dry place. Notes:
Mountain MintMountain Mints are a group of plants in the mint family that are native to North America and all areas of NC. The leaves have a strong minty fragrance when crushed and can be used in cooking and making teas. The densely packed clusters of flowers come in white to shades of purple and attract many pollinators in July to Sept. Most have pleasing foliage when not in bloom and make a great addition to any pollinator garden. Harvesting: This plant can be harvested for both fresh and dried use. Choose stems that are just beginning to bloom, cutting them in the morning before the dew has dried. Seed Saving: When the flower spikes begin to dry and turn color, shake the entire plant's seed heads over a container to remove the seed. To collect the most seeds, repeat the process daily until all the seed has matured. Store mountain mint seeds in a cool, dry place. Notes:
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Peppermint - Out of StockA favorite for flavoring tea and desserts, this perennial plant is also one of the easiest to grow from seed. It is useful to plant it near roses to deter aphids. This plant reaches a medium height, and does well in full sun to part shade. Expect small purple flowers in early summer. Fun Fact: Currently, Michigan grows the most acres of mint in the United States; the United States provides about half the world's peppermint supply. Harvesting: Fresh leaves can be harvested as soon as the plant reaches a height of 3-4". The small, young leaves tend to have the best flavor. Cut the stems down to within 1" of the ground level to allow for new growth. Keep the tops pruned to prevent blooming, since this causes the leaves to deteriorate in flavor. To dry the leaves, hang the stems upside down in a dry location until the leaves feel completely dry; strip them from the stems and keep them in an airtight container. Fresh mint leaves can also be frozen. Uses: Because it contains menthol, an antiseptic and anesthetic, tea of peppermint benefits conditions such as the common cold, asthma, congestion, and indigestion Seed Saving: Since many types of mint produce sterile seed or seed that is not true to type, saving the seed may be somewhat of an experiment. Harvest the seed heads as soon as they grow dry and brown; spread them out to finish drying out of sunlight, then thresh them to remove the seed. Store the seed in a cool, dry place. Notes:
Spearmint - Out of StockThe plants are fragrant and flavorful, like that of Peppermint. The leaves and oils are used to flavor toothpastes, candies, breath mints and most of all, chewing gum! Growing to a mature height of roughly 2 feet tall, Spearmint will display dozens of bright green, attractive leaves, which are deeply veined. The flowers are pink to purple in color and bloom through the summer months. Harvesting: Fresh leaves can be harvested as soon as the plant reaches a height of 3-4". The small, young leaves tend to have the best flavor. Cut the stems down to within 1" of the ground level to allow for new growth. Keep the tops pruned to prevent blooming, since this causes the leaves to deteriorate in flavor. To dry the leaves, hang the stems upside down in a dry location until the leaves feel completely dry; strip them from the stems and keep them in an airtight container. Fresh mint leaves can also be frozen. Seed Saving: Since many types of mint produce sterile seed or seed that is not true to type, saving the seed may be somewhat of an experiment. Harvest the seed heads as soon as they grow dry and brown; spread them out to finish drying out of sunlight, then thresh them to remove the seed. Store the seed in a cool, dry place. Notes:
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CategoriesFDL Seed Library
The FDL Seed Library is a collection of open-pollinated and heirloom seeds that you can borrow to plant and grow at home. By saving seeds as a community we help create local seed stocks that are better acclimated to our climate and which support an abundant and genetically diverse landscape.
We ask that seeds are “returned” by harvesting seeds from a plant or two that you grow. Donated seeds will help to add diversity to our collection. Archives
March 2022
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