Looks like the fruit lords and this forum have been good to me as my two year old dwarf Spring Satin Plumcot is loaded with delicious fruit! You can see the three styles of "protection" ( footies, cotton bag and green oragoma (sp) bags) being used in an experiment to learn about how well they keep bidrs/squirrels away and how long they take to apply and how many fruit are ruined in the process! The mockingbirds started feeding on them so I put out the bags. Right now many still have yellow flesh inside and are sweet/sour, but a few are ripening (red flesh) and are out-of-this-world sweet like a bing cherry! My flavor delight aprium just set a dozen fruit and estimate they will be ripe within 30 days. The stark bros plum and apricot that came with the order are loaded and will probably be ready to eat within 30 days as well. Your help and a little luck have been invaluable. Thank you.

Another common name for orange mint (Mentha aquatica) is eau de cologne mint (blue balsam and bergamot are others). Aroma interpretation is very subjective. Sometimes a mint may not smell like its namesake to you until somebody else tells you what it is called or supposed to smell like. The power of suggestion at work! Some of the mint aromas have nothing in their oil that is in the flavor they are named for. For example, "Chocolate" mint has no chemicals in it its oil in common with chocolate. As for the flavors of mints, for me, the taste and smell don't always go hand in hand. There are lots of mint scents and subtleties between different varieties so there isn't really a single "mint" flavor or scent. However, I notice a common "note" in most mints' aroma. What most people mean by "mint" flavor is spearmint (M.spicata) or sometimes peppermint (M xpiperita)-the two most commonly used to flavor foods. Lime mint is another type of M. aquatica. It has a bit more of a clean "citrus" note to its aroma. Interestingly, lemon mint is not a type of Mentha at all, but a species of Monarda (bee balm). Have fun trying them ALL! F. DeBaggio

Nope. Tastes like mint!! Seriously, if you think about the difference between spearmint and peppermint... They're both minty, but very different. Chocolate mint is yet another flavor. Sure is pretty growing though. I also grow Pineapple Mint. Doesn't taste like pineapple to me either. It is lighter and fruitier (for lack of a better description). Let me know if you want some chocolate mint starts....Yes, it'll make it through the mail. I don't think you can kill it. As sally2 said, plant it in a pot or it'll take over the world! Both of my varieties are in 15-20 gallon pots and I just noticed a few days ago that there's pineapple in my chocolate pot. I have NO idea how that happened. One stray root I suppose... Deanna

ooh that does sound good. Those Andes mints are DH's favorites. I may make this for Father's Day! Thanks Steph!