I think it's an acquired scent. It was commonly a strewing herb and deters bugs. It's one of the ingredients I put in my cat's bed (no bugs on her!)

Hi Sparrowhawk, the flowers sort of look like Valeriana officinalis, but I can't find a good picture of the stem of it. I'll keep looking. Thanks, Peggy

I think that 2.8 pots are WAY too small. The good news is that it is almost impossible to kill mint! Cut it back (almost to the soil level) and it may grow again. In the meantime . . . pull the plant completely out of the container. Are the roots winding around in circles? Or, worse yet, do they smell somewhat sweet? If so, you have some parts of the roots that are rotting. You will need to trim them off with a pair of sharp, clean shears or scissors. You can trim about 2/3rds of the rootball without killing the plant if necessary. It is always MUCH more important to take care of the roots than the plant! If your plant is root bound simply wrap your four fingers from each hand around the bottom of opposing sides of the rootball with your thumbs above on the top. Pull the roots apart to about 2/3rds of the way to the top of the plant, leaving 1/3 of the distance from the top of the soil undisturbed. Turn the plant one-quarter and repeat. (An alternative is to take a sharp knive and cut straight slits almost the top of the rootball to almost the bottom of the rootball. For a rootball that small I would think 2-3 slits would be enough. Now . . . replant in a much larger pot! I would suggest about 8" . . . with most plants I would be afraid that the dramatic change in sizes might shock them, but mint is way hardy and really needs some room to spread out. If your space does not permit that large of a pot, trim those roots way back and put in a pot that is as large as you can! You will need to do this every so often in order to keep this plant in a smaller pot. Another choice is the take the plant out of the pot and, using a sharp knife or shears, divide the plant into multiple plants. Give the new plants out as gifts to friends or simply keep for yourself in separate pots. Or, at worst case, throw them in the trash (do not throw outside! They will root and take over whatever area you throw them into! When re-potting, make sure you water the potting mix well before you set the plant into the new pot. Make a nice mushy mess of it . . . treat it like dough and squish and stir it with your hands to make sure it is moist! Then add the plant and the rest of the potting mix and water very, very well again. Water until some water and soil comes out of the bottom of the pot and starts to fill the saucer. Make sure to dump the water from the saucer afterwards. A few more tips . . . anytime the roots are coming out of the pot, either from the top or the bottom, you are probably looking at a plant that is rootbound. Rootbound plants are taking up so much room that there is no room for the water, etc., that the plant needs to survive, no matter how much you attempt to water it. After you water a plant, you should be able to come back in a few minutes and stick you fingers into about the knuckle (less in a 2.8" pot of course--I would just pull the whole plant out to check it unless you have a plant that is sentive to being disturbed . . . and mint is not sensitive!) and still feel some moisture in the soil. If not, your soil is not absorbing the moisture. This can happen if a plant goes too long without water (may have occurred before you got the plant) and then the potting mixture actually repells the water. The water at this point just runs down the side of the pot and into the saucer, not allowing any water near the rootball. Take the plant out of the pot and submerge it in water, gently massaging the rootball and soil until the soil becomes evenly moist. If this does not help, repeat the process with clean water that you have added a drop of dishwashing detergent to. Now . . . I have a question: what is OSH? I have seen that is several postings and haven't a clue as to what it is. Best of luck! By the way . . . everything above is true for most plants. Some like less water in general . . . give them a good watering but them allow the soil to get slightly dry (test by sinking you finger into the soil up to the first knuckle) before watering again. And be careful to make sure a plant is not sensitive to being handled or having its roots disturbed before attempting any of the rootbound procedures . . . in this case simply plant in larger pot, water well, and pray). NEVER ALLOW ANY HERB TO TOTALLY DRY OUT! Also, remember that it is best to water well fewer times than to water a little each time but more often. If you are using clay pots . . . soak the pots completely in water for a few minutes before potting . . . the clay will actually pull the water away from the plant at a time the plant really needs the water! Also, remember that clay pots will dry out more quickly and will therefore need to be watered more often. The good news is that they allow much more air circulation . . . something more herbs appreciate . . . than plastic or some other containers. Hope this helps.

Well, I had no idea - wish I had a hedge like that when I had problems with neighborhood kids! I've never seen this product so I had to do a little checking. Ortho made it, but it is no longer listed on their website. Possibly it is a product they no longer make, but there are still a couple of retailers online that are selling it. What's in the stuff anyway? I'd be tempted just to mulch heavily under those roses. Straw and good ole compost. If you really loved them, you'd treat them to some cow poo ;)