Mint comes in a wide variety of refreshing scents and flavors, but use care when planting: it's an invasive herb that can take over your garden or flower bed.

Spanish speakers call mint "hierbabuena," which translated literally means "good herb," and they are dead on because not only is mint as refreshing as an oasis in the desert, it is easy and cheap to grow yourself.

Why? Part of the reason has to do with the weather. See, if you were to ask mint what its favorite growing conditions were, it would say something like, "Uhhh... partial sunlight, moist soil, and cool temperatures if you can manage it, thanks lad." But what it won’t tell you is that it has a creed, a secret motto it always lives by, and that is this: I will survive.

So mint and Gloria Gaynor have something in common. Who cares? Well, you do, because it means you can plant this guy almost anywhere in your garden, and it will live through almost any weather conditions—high rainfall, scorching summers, even feet of snow. You will have fresh mint almost year round.

Just make sure, though, that you don't plant it too close to anything else in your garden. Or if you do, put it in some sort of pot or container, because it is almost weed-like in its tendency to spread.The best thing about growing mint yourself is that there are so many flavors! Peppermint, apple mint, bergamot mint with its citrusy tang; they even have chocolate mint and ginger mint.

Head to a nursery near you for a tasting and take home your favorite flavor — no green thumb required.

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