How to Grow Mint Without It Taking Over the Garden

Keeping mint contained, keeping it tender, and the one thing to do the day you bring it home.

The steps

1. Keep It Potted. It spreads by underground runners. A bed is lost in one season.
2. Part Shade Is Fine. Full sun is not required. Shade keeps leaves tender.
3. Keep Soil Damp. Mint wilts fast when dry. It recovers if watered soon.
4. Pinch Often. Pinch tips to keep it bushy. Stops it going leggy.
5. Remove Flowers. Flowering thins the flavour. Pinch buds as they form.
6. Cut It Back Hard. Cut low when it gets woody. It regrows from the base.
7. Divide Every Two Years. Pots exhaust themselves. Split and repot in spring.
8. Harvest from the Top. Take the top few leaves. Never strip a whole stem.

Pro tip. If you want mint in a bed, sink the whole pot into the soil with the rim standing proud. You get the look of a planted clump and the roots still cannot escape sideways.