The Plant Every Gardener Who Loves Sweets Should Plant

Planting a new plant in your garden is one of the most fun aspects of gardening. Naturally, those with a green thumb enjoy growing plants that hold special meaning for them, whether they encapsulate a memory of a loved one or identify with a specific trait of the plant. To that end, if you enjoy sweets, you are going to want to plant an herb known as chocolate mint.

Most people are aware of the advantages of planting mint in your garden. One of the upsides is that it attracts useful insects like bees and various bugs that feed on aphids, which often kill plants. Mint is also a secret weapon for repelling unwanted bugs from your garden including mosquitoes, ants, flies, and mice. Like regular mint which has a refreshing scent, the aroma of chocolate mint can entice your senses. It can be a delightful addition to any space. While you might think that a sweet chocolatey scent may not work well in repelling bugs, rest assured that chocolate mint works just as well for ridding yourself of unwanted insects.

In addition to its working capabilities and delectable scent, chocolate mint is easy to grow and maintain, whether you want to keep it as an indoor plant or grow it outside. The best conditions for chocolate mint include a temperature between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit in partial to full sun.

A chocolate mint plant does well when watered regularly and kept moist. If planted outdoors, this low-maintenance herb will go dormant in the winter but come back in the spring. It also grows well and quite easily in most soils. However, that good quality can actually become problematic if given free rein to grow in an open garden. Like regular mint, chocolate mint grows fast and will quickly take over your whole garden. The solution is to plant it outside in pots or planters where its growth is limited to the container it grows in. If you keep chocolate mint indoors, you can take in the delightful scent and unleash the aroma more anytime by rubbing the leaves.