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Garden Tool Set from Club Bing

My garden tools set from Club Bing arrived today! Of all the things I've gotten through the club, this is high on my list of favorites! Included in the set are pruners, a trowel, a rake, an unidentified garden tool, a fork, a pair of gloves, a spray bottle, a scrub brush, a stool, twine (with a cutter), and a handy bag to carry everything in.

I've already used the tools to clean out the grass around the central air unit and to prune the mixed growth near the porch and the front of the trailer. I've got a long week's worth of plans for cleaning out the rest of the grass in the lawn that my mower just won't get to.

More importantly, this prize from Club Bing gets me one step closer to next Spring's plans for planting with a purpose.

Planting With a Purpose: Peppermint

One of my goals for 2010 is to begin gardening. It will be a virgin experience, since the closest I've come to gardening is planting a couple of things (a sweet gum tree and a patch of watermelons), watering them once, then leaving them to grow -- or not -- on their own. I want to grow plants that are useful to me and my family (furry and human, alike), hence "Planting With a Purpose". After doing a bit of research, I've decide that I want to start my gardening experiment with peppermint.

One of the main reasons that I decided on peppermint is that it is, apparently, easy to grow.^{1, 2, 3} Call me crazy, but I see that as an important trait in a plant that will be my first step into real gardening. Ease, alone, is no motivation, however. Why on Earth would I want to start my garden with peppermint?

That's an easy question, but one for which the answer comes in multiples. I started taking an interest in mint because of dog shampoo. Yes, you read that correctly. My dog is disabled. He requires a lot of bathing, and, for that, I needed a soap-free shampoo. After doing some research (yeah, I research pretty much everything) I ordered the lavender and mint variety of CloudStar Buddy Wash, and I like it well enough that I'd probably only change Jerry's shampoo if he suddenly developed an allergy to it. I like it well enough that I've bathed in it, myself, and would probably continue to do so if soap for humans weren't available at a much lower price.

Given my love of Jerry's minty shampoo, I had to try the Bliss Mammoth Minty Scrub Soap, when it became available as a prize at Club Bing. This is a knock-you-on-your-patty mint fragrance that supercharges the shower, but ends up subtle on the skin. Mint suddenly became a contender on my short list of smells I like.

And that's when I decided that I wouldn't be a bit opposed to my entire yard giving off a minty air. Like ease, smell alone is not enough to justify the work and expense of gardening, so, here's the kicker: Mice hate peppermint! ^4,5 I, personally, don't hate mice, per se. I could've sworn that the first one I saw in the kitchen was waving at me. I think they're cute. I spent some time actually feeding the little varmints. But they are driving me a bit batty, and I'd like for them to find a new home. Traps and poisons are out of the question. Peppermint seems like a lovely alternative!

Add in the theory that peppermint repels fleas and mosquitoes -- a theory I won't provide references for, since when it comes to fleas, I have faith in only two things: bathing and Capstar -- and peppermint becomes a fine solution in the planting with a purpose equation.

References

¹GardenGuides.com: Growing and Using Peppermint
²Caryn.com: Mint
³About.com: Herb Gardens: Peppermint
⁴Kitchen Chick: The War Against Mice
⁵How to Get Rid of Mice: Get Rid of Mice With Peppermint Oil