Nurseries specialising in mints
Arne Herbs Green Garden Herbs Iden Croft Herbs Jekka's Herb Farm Laurel Farm Herbs Old Hall Plants Penborn Goat Farm The Herb Nursery Unusual Herbs and Edibles Yorkshire Lavender
AH
Arne Herbs - Avon
Anthony Lyman-Dixon and Jenny Thomas have been in business for some time specialising in wild flowers for conservation schemes and authentic plants to the re-creation of historic gardens. There mint numbers for sale isn't large but has always included something for the enthusiast. Anthony was probably the first to re-introduce chocolate mint to the UK. 'Nile Valley' mint was one of his introductions now well known. Their current catalogue has more forms unavailable elsewhere, including the very difficult to keep Mentha gattefossei.
Owners: Anthony Lymon-Dixon & Jenny Thomas
Postal Limeburn Nurseries, Limeburn Hill, Chew Magna, BRISTOL, BS40 8QW
Telephone: 01275 333399
Fax: 01275 333399
Email: anthony@arneherbs.co.uk & lyman@lyman-dixon.freeserve.co.uk
Website: www.arneherbs.co.uk
Catalogue: £3.75, cost refundable with first order. "The most up-to-date information is to be found on the website."
Mail order: yes
Nursery Sales: yes, but ring beforehand to make sure someone will be there, as they don't keep regular times.
Number of mints listed on website catalogue: 30
Number of mints listed in RHS Plant Finder online: 32
ICH
Iden Croft Herbs - Kent
Iden Croft Herbs holds one of the four National Mentha Collections. The herb nursery is open most of the year and some mints may be on general on display, but the National Collection is only viewable during the Summer when the pots are moved to the display area - don't travel any distance without first checking with the current Collection Holder. The most common mints are available for sale from the Nursery most of the time. Forms of less interest to the general public may also be available, but not all forms in the National Collection have been offered for sale, in the past. Only a limited mail order service for mints through the website. Please enquire about less common mints.
Contact: Nursery Manager: Tracy Conners-Pearman
Postal Address: Frittenden Road, STAPLEHURST, TN12 0DH
Telephone: 01580 891432
Fax: 01580 892416
Email: idencroft.herbs@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.uk-herbs.com
Mail Order: yes, available through website, or contact directly.
Nursery Sales: yes - Mar-Christmas Mon-Sat 09.00-17.00, Sun & Bank Hol 11.00-17.00, closed Jan-Feb
Number of mints listed on website shop: 8
Number of mints listed in RHS Plant Finder online: 81
LFH
Laural Farm Herbs - Suffolk
This Nursery has been going some time and after a lull in mints for sale has an impressive number of varieties by mail order or to callers. Plants will be in large pots dispatched in specially designed packing. Check the website for full list and then with owner for availability.
Owner: Chris Seagon
Postal Main Road, A12, Kelsale, SAXMUNDHAN, IP13 2RG
Telephone: 01728 668223
Fax: none
Email: seagontheherbman@aol.com
Website: www.theherbfarm.co.uk
Catalogue: none by post - online catalogue only
Mail order: yes (sent out in pot, with compost)
Plant Sizes: mostly 1½ litre
Nursery Sales: yes - look on website for opening times
Number of mints listed on website shop: (16)
Number of mints listed on website catalogue: 27
Number of mints listed in RHS Plant Finder online: 35
JHF
Jekka's Herb Farm - Avon
Well known for her stalls at many of the Horticultural Shows, she has steadily been adding mints to her list over the years and now has 34. Have a look on the website for details, where all are listed for online ordering .
Owner: Jekka McVicar
Postal Address: Rose Cottage, Shellards Lane, Alveston, BRISTOL, BS35 3SY
Telephone: 01454 418878 or 0845 290 3255
Fax: 01454 424907
Email: sales@jekkasherbfarm.com
Website: www.jekkasherbfarm.co.uk
Catalogue: full colour catalogue £2.50 (pay by sending coins sellotaped to some card, or use a credit/debit card via website)
Mail order: yes (sent out with compost)
Plant sizes: 8cm & 1 litre (sent out with compost)
Number of mints listed on website shop: 34
Number of mints listed in RHS Plant Finder online: 32
PGF
Penborn Goat Farm - Devon
A specialist - that is a nursery that started out only selling mints, but now adding some others herbs, particularly lavenders. Peter's plants have recently been designated a National Mentha Collection, and he offers for sale the greatest range of mint plants in the UK. After a short suspension of mail order, he is again offering plants by post, via an online list of potential plants for sale -a large range of mints, but only propagated in small quantities. Visits to the nursery are by appointment only.
Owner: Peter Oldfield
Postal Address: Penborn, Bounds Cross, HOLSWORTHY. EX22 6LH
Telephone: 01288 381569
Fax: none
Email: penborngoats@toucanserf.com
Website: (the non-goat section) www.penborngoats.com/thenursery.htm
Catalogue: Refer to website page www.penborngoats.com/gardenplantlist.htm
Mail order: yes; min order £10
Nursery Sales: see website
Number of mints listed on website sales list: 88
Number of mints listed as on display: 98
Number of mints listed in RHS Plant Finder online: 86
GGH
Green Garden Herbs
Contact: Sarah Clark
Address: Beech House, 82 Leiston Road, ALDEBURGH, Suffolk, IP15 5PS
Telephone: 01728 452597 / 07949 906290
Fax: none
Email: info@greengardenherbs.co.uk
Website: www.greengardenherbs.co.uk
Opening times: By appointment only, except for open weekend.
Open Days: Special open weekend 20th, 21st, & 22nd May 2011.
Nursery Sales: yes
Mail Order yes (£15 min)
Catalogue: online; plant list sent on receipt of SAE
Specialty: Herbs, aromatic, culinary, medicinal & ornamental, incl. Salvia, Mentha, Thymus. Plants & seed available. Some rarities not listed as only available in very small quantities.
Number of mints listed on website catalogue: 28 (may not all be available)
Number of mints listed in RHS Plant Finder online: 25
THN
The Herb Nursery - Rutland
Owners: Peter Bench
Postal Address: Thisleton. OAKHAM, LE15 7RE
Telephone: 01572 767658
Fax: 01572 768021
Email: herbnursery@southwitham.net
Website: www.herbnursery.co.uk
Opening times: 9am-6pm (or dusk), Mon-Sun, except 2 weeks at Christmas. Mint plants display in 10 litre pots, see picture below. Many other herbs on display in beds around the nursery including thyme collection.
Open Days: Sat-Sun 18th-19th June. Open Garden Weekend at The Herb Nursery - five acres of nursery, gardens and woodland not normally open to the public, including lavender, rosemary and origanum collections. Entry by donation. Refreshments available. Proceeds to village church clock fund.
Nursery Sales: yes
Mail Order: no
Catalogue: online, or A5 SAE
Specialty: Herbs, wild flowers, cottage garden plants and scented-leaf pelargoniums
Number of mints listed on website catalogue: 38
Number of mints listed in RHS Plant Finder online: 38
mint collection on display all season at the Herb Nursery
OHP
Old Hall Plants - Suffolk
Old Hall Plants had, maybe, the largest collection of mint plants for sale in the UK up until 2004. However Janet had developed other areas of specialism and the work involved in maintaining her collection of stock plants had become too time consuming, So reluctantly the majority of her mint plants have been passed on to a good home. The nursery is still in business but is concentrating on rarer herbs and houseplants, particularly Plectranthus.
They do have a few of the more common mint plants available - visit their website oldhallplants.co.uk for the nursery's up-to-date plant list.
Owner: Janet Elliot
Mail Order Address: 1 Old Hall, Barsham, BECCLES, NR34 8HB
Telephone: 01502 717475
Fax: none
Email: Janet@oldhallplants.co.uk
Website: www.oldhallplants.co.uk
Mail Order: yes
Nursery Sales: by appointment
Number of mints listed on website: 6
Number of mints listed in RHS Plant Finder online: 6
UHE
Unusual Herbs and Edibles - Suffolk
This small nursery moved location in 2004/2005 and took a year off all sales in 2007. It appears to have not restarted, yet. It did have an very interesting small mint list including some rare and unusual forms. Maybe keep an eye on their website www.unusualherbsandedibles.co.uk for when they restart online shopping, but they aren't yet!
Owner: Lauren Rayner
Postal Address: 23 Mill Lane, Wrentham, BECCLES, NR34 7JQ
Telephone: 01502 502001
Fax: none
Email: laurenrayner@aol.com not being answered at the moment
Website: www.unusualherbsandedibles.co.uk
Catalogue:
Mail Order:
Nursery Sales:
YL
Yorkshire Lavender - North Yorkshire
Contact: Julia Snowball
Postal Address: The Yorkshire Lavender Farm, Terrington, YORK, YO60 6PB
Telephone: 01653 648008
Fax: 01653 648008
Email: lavenderworld@btconnect.com
Website: www.yorkshirelavender.com
Opening times: 10am-5pm, Mon-Sun, 2nd April - 30th October 2011. Apparently only a limited number of mints on sale at the moment. Small mint display bed just been planted, but needs time to establish. Extensive plantings of lavender and mixed herb beds. Fee entry to all garden areas. Refreshments available at "EJs" licensed tea room,
Mint Weekend: Sat-Sun 4th-5th June 2011, where information posters are on display (taken from Lavenderworld website), but otherwise nothing extra for the mint enthusiast.
Catalogue: none - refer to RHS Nursery Finder entry and click "view list", but many do not seem to be available. Please confirm before traveling any distance.
Mail Order: online, 12 mints - you need to find your way to www.lavenderworld.co.uk, click on Garden Plants and then on mints - the primary link on the Yorkshire Lavender website doesn't take you straight there.
Nursery Sales: no details, but they are open every day
Specialities: Lavandula, Thymus & Mentha
Number of mints listed on (lavenderworld.co.uk) website: 12
Number of mints listed in RHS Plant Finder online: 42
This is not an exhaustive list although it does contain the nurseries with the greatest range and some with an interesting unusual selection. If you know of any other Mentha sources worth adding to the above, please let me know, at sources @ mentha.info. Thanks.
Nurseries specialising in mints
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