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Will anything cope in a planter with mint?

LG_LG_ Posts: 4,360
in Problem solving
Just wondering, has anyone here tried growing anything else in a pot (large-ish planter ~50cm square) with mint, for instance bulbs for a bit of winter / early spring interest? 
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
- Cicero

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    A polyanthus self - seeded in mine and did ok. So they might be worth a try.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,360
    Oh that would be good, thanks :smile:
    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    edited November 2020
    Spring bulbs should be OK, they'll have flowered and gone over by the time the mint flexes its muscles.  Remember to feed them after the flowers fade, to get a good display the year after.  You could try lemon balm Melissa officinalis, which is related to mint and behaves much the same.  It's a good bee plant.  Maybe a tall perennial or biennial which will tower over the mint:  golden rod Solidago, Foxglove Digitalis and Evening primrose Oenothera biennis come to mind.
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,360
    Thanks @josusa47 - interesting ideas. Hadn't though of using anything tall! I know that growing different mints in the same space can merge all the flavours so they become indistinct - do you think Melissa officinalis would have the same effect? I was wondering whether one of those small-leaved, 'hanging basket'-type ivies might be good to make the planter look less empty in winter. Not sure if it's a good idea to grow potentially toxic things in with edibles, in case of confusion (this is not for me)!
    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Some plants produce compounds which are toxic to other plants - it's the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest.  It's called allelopathy, and it's a fascinating subject.  But they have nothing to gain by poisoning the creatures that might eat the competing plant.  Some plants are toxic in some parts and not others.  For instance, rhubarb stalks are safe to eat, despite having that big poisonous leaf on the end.  And it's not a good idea to eat any part of a potato plant except the tubers.

    I'm a huge fan of ivy, and there's a specialist nursery called Fibrex which has about 100 varieties. I have found them very good people to deal with.
  • seacrowsseacrows Posts: 234
    Rocks. I have a couple of different mints in separate pots. One has nice dramatic blades of slate, the other has different coloured granites.

    I tried lemon balm, aquilegia, oregano, forget-me-nots, celandine and cyclamen. All struggled in the first year, and were massively out competed in the second year. Ha, thought I, try out competing rocks.
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    I find within a few years mint will fill the pot pretty solid with roots.  You could sink a terracotta or plastic pot into the middle planted up with something else.  
    Utah, USA.
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,360
    edited November 2020
    seacrows said:
    Rocks. I have a couple of different mints in separate pots. One has nice dramatic blades of slate, the other has different coloured granites.

    I tried lemon balm, aquilegia, oregano, forget-me-nots, celandine and cyclamen. All struggled in the first year, and were massively out competed in the second year. Ha, thought I, try out competing rocks.

    This made me laugh - and I will certainly consider suggesting rocks! Growing something removable / replenishable in a separate, inserted pot is also worth thinking about.

    Thanks for these creative ideas, everyone. 
    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Depends on the mint too. My ginger mint has pretty yellow and green leaves and is shorter than the others I have. Still runs though, and has moved itself up and over a low stone retaining wall to populate the spaces between the strawberry rows. They are co-existing quite happily so far, but the mint will get pulled out if it over-reaches itself any further!
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