Mentha spicata var. crispa

These days, mint is used mostly as a culinary herb, adding a fresh, summery flavour to salads, sauces, summer dishes and drinks. It's easy to grow and, being perennial, comes back every year. There are many varieties to choose from, each with a distinctive flavour. Best grown in pots in a sunny spot, it's a good idea to grow at least a couple of mint varieties in order to add variety and interest to dishes.

Curly mint, Mentha spicata var. crispa, is a creeping mint, bearing frilled peppermint-flavoured leaves on strong stems. Plants produce clusters of small, lilac flowers in summer, which are particularly attractive to pollinators.

Sow seeds indoors or under glass, from spring to early summer. When all risk of frost has passed, harden the plants off by gradually acclimatising them to outdoor conditions, then plant them out in well-drained soil in full sun or part shade. If grown in the right spot, mint plants will last for several years.