Mint is a very flavoursome plant and is easy to grow - Infact, too easy! Mint can grow vigorously and therefore it is preferable to grow it in containers or an open-ended pot in the ground with the rim a couple of centimetres above soil level.

You can sow seeds or buy a young plant to grow on. Amazingly, mint comes in a number of flavours and varieties. You may wish to see which plants' scents suit your tastes at a local garden centre. Spring is the best time to plant your mint.

To plant, water in well before and after in a sunny or partial shade position. If you have chosen not to contain your mint plants, you will need to keep control of it. You can thin it out by removing a clump by the root ball and splitting it up. You can then plant elsewhere or hot compost it. You can also drown it before composting it. It's worth doing this exercise annually to keep the plants thriving.

Mint will require plenty of watering, especially during hot and dry spells and when the plants have finished flowering, cut the flowered stems down to approximately 2 inches from the base.

You can pick mint leaves any time. Do this regularly to encourage re-growth and pinch out the growing tips for a bushier plant. The mint plant is treated like a perennial and will die off during the winter months and will revive itself in Spring.

Fresh mint leaves will add flavour to a number of culinary dishes as well as being used medicinally; as a decongestant. You can make mint sauce to accompany lamb and freeze them in water; an ice tray would be ideal to pop out when they are required.