Stop...and Smell the Mints — A Glimpse into the Mint Family of Plants: Lamiaceae

by Randy Collins

Outskirts Press: 2019

ISBN: 978-1-9772-0472-1

Potential Readers

• New gardeners who are interested in learning about many kinds of Salvias (true sages) and other mint family plants
• Salvia lovers who need information about companion plants
• Anyone who wants an overview of the mint family (Lamiaceae), of which Salvia is the largest genus
• Graduates of master gardener programs and those considering enrolling

Randy Collins was surprised when he got hooked on horticulture. Gardening wasn’t a regular pastime during his career spanning 29 years with IBM and 15 years as a small business financial consultant. But when retirement arrived, a friend talked him into master gardener training through Indiana’s Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. In the foreword to his book, Stop...and Smell the Mints, Collins notes that “it was such a refreshing experience getting my hands dirty.”

A move to South Carolina taught him how different gardening could be in another region of the nation. Both states have hot, humid summers, but the South Carolina soil was sandy in contrast to Indiana loam. And he had never before experienced how deer could devastate a home landscape.

The invasion of South Carolina’s white tailed deer led to another discovery. Although they occasionally nibbled on mint family plants (Lamiaceae),  “[m]any plants in this family were not eaten quite as often.” Salvias, he noticed, were among the greatest survivors. Not only did they withstand the four-legged trespassers but also the sandy soil that he improved with compost. Many Salvias are adaptable to a wide range of soils, but they need good drainage — something gritty soils easily provide.

The mint family contains 7,000 species of which Salvias (true sages versus closely related species like sagebrush) comprise the largest genus.  They also form the largest chapter for a single genus in Stop...and Smell the Mints. Collins calls the Salvia genus the “champion” of the mint family. He details dozens of species as well as their popular varieties and hybrids. Some examples include Salvia amplexicaulis (Stem Clasping Violet Sage), S. Mexicana (Mexican Sage), S. oxyphora (Fuzzy Bolivian Sage or Bolivian Spearhead Sage), and S. x ‘Wendy’s Wish’ (Wendy’s Wish Sage).

Collins’ book is a particularly useful resource for Salvia gardeners who need to become better acquainted with other types of mint family plants, which are great companions for sages. The author covers 33 genera ranging from Agastache (Anise Hyssop) to Rosmarinus (Rosemary) to Vitex agnus-castus (Chastetree or Southern Lilac).  

Other sections of the book offer tips about topics such as:

• Adaptive gardening techniques for people with injuries or other limitations
• Composting instructions
• Kinds of mulch to conserve moisture and discourage weeds
• Lamiaceae in the butterfly garden, and
• Natural methods for controlling garden pests and diseases.

In its title alone, Stop...and Smell the Mints captures one of the most distinctive characteristics of mint family plants — the captivating (and occasionally unpleasant) fragrance of their foliage. The title also reminds readers that there is great value in taking time to relax amid the beauty of gardens.