“By The Time This Problem Becomes Obvious, We Will Be Long Gone”: Woman Plants Mint In Her Partner’s Family’s Garden To Get Revenge On Rude Neighbor
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We tend to not think of botany as a skill with a lot of potential for mischief. But combine someone with the right knowledge and the patience to maintain a garden and you may make yourself a powerful enemy.
An internet user shared a story of particularly petty revenge, where their knowledge of botany was weaponized against an entitled neighbor. The tale began when OP was looking after a relative house and garden. A neighbor began making demands about how the garden was supposed to look and even secretly cut a branch off of a hazel tree. So OP decided on an unconventional and green form of revenge.
More info: Reddit
Keeping a nice garden requires a lot of work, knowledge, and patience
Image credits: Eric Rayner (not the actual photo)
A person was tending the garden of a sick relative when a neighboring ‘Karen’ started making demands about plants outside her property
So OP hatched a devious bit of petty revenge using nothing but plain old mint
Image credits: valeriygoncharukphoto (not the actual photo)
Image credits: LaCaffeinata
OP provided some great details explaining how they planned their revenge
We reached out to LaCaffeinata and they were gracious enough to give us some follow-up details about their petty revenge. We wanted to know if they had considered any other methods of getting back at this neighbor or if they had an alternative plant they thought about using. “No, I did not consider any other plants – mostly because I had spare mint in a pot on our balcony and because I wanted something that would only be a nuisance, not an invasive species or “real” trouble, like bamboo. As I said, mint is an extremely useful and pleasant plant to have around, and I do not remember any place where my family lived where we did not have some mint in the garden. On a farm where we lived for a while when I was a kid, we had the whole shed full of drying mint hanging from the rafters.”
Naturally, we also wanted to know when their plan would actually start taking effect. “Since planting the mint last summer, it has about doubled in size, and there are tendrils sneaking off in all directions. I guess it should start showing up in her garden by the end of summer, even if we keep the main plant nice and civilized while we are still taking care of the house. Some Reddit users have suggested seed-bombing her yard, but that would be illegal. But as we also had to do some work on the backyard, I have planted some nice wildflower mix throughout the grass that is suitable for the situation and should attract lots of bees and butterflies. I love colorful, lively gardens.”
Image credits: SkidMark_wahlberg (not the actual photo)
While this ‘Karen’ might end up disagreeing, mint is a staggeringly useful plant
The choice of mint was particularly clever for its aforementioned attributes. The American Horticultural Society has even classified some variants as invasive since they can spread so aggressively. But let’s not be too disparaging of mint, it’s a hugely versatile and useful plant. It has myriad culinary uses from tea to liquor, or as a spice in meat dishes and sauces. If you brush your teeth as you should (you do, right?) you have no doubt tasted the flavor of mint essential oil or at least menthol. And let’s not forget candy canes and other sweets that rely on mint for flavor and that refreshing mouth feel. Or cocktails like a mint julep, that otherwise would be just some bourbon and sugar.
Lamb sauce and mojitos should solidify mint’s pedigree as a useful plant, but it goes beyond just consumption. Mint oil, besides giving us a feeling of fresh breath, is also a great insecticide that does not have any negative environmental effects, unless you are a wasp, hornet, or cockroach. Then it’s pretty bad. Conversely, mint is pretty good for us, unless you happen to have an allergy. Some research suggests that it can help with IBS, while aromatherapy using mint essential oil has shown some promise in helping people with nausea after surgery. Altogether, it’s a useful little plant, though not if you really really insist on having a gravel garden.
Image credits: Sohel Patel (not the actual photo)
Commenters loved OP’s strategy and applauded them for their creativity
If you are in the US, DON'T PLANT KUDZU!! one commenter suggested this, but it is an invasive species and a huge problem once it takes hold. Go on and rile up the neighbours, but leave the poor ecosystem alone. OP was clear she was using local plants.
I thought it was very considerate of the OP to plant a native. Invasive species shouldn't even be sold at gardening centers.
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Neighbors behind us planted mint one year. It took over their garden and spread into ours. They eventually gave up and turned their garden into a concrete patio. Meanwhile my husband and I spend a solid two days every year trying to dig out the mint so we can plant our vegetables (it’s three feet high and EVERYWHERE by late spring), and many hours after that battling it back before it can smother the carrots. Mint is truly unstoppable!
Funny thing is, I can't keep mint alive. I plant it and it up and dies every time
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mint doesnt grow fast enough in Africa. Here I would use bamboo to deal with this. Roots are incredibly tough and even a strong man with a hoe can't really remove it without several days of work. And it grows FAST.
Bamboo is a real pain in the a*s 👍 you need to dig it out and if you miss one root it grows back. Grows trough concrete, swimmingpools and ofcourse all throughout your garden
I once planted one of these ‘plant me’ seed paper in my yard and discovered with terror that it’s mint. Now my yard is infested with mint for four years and still running… these buggers 🥲 at least they smell nice
My mother wouldn't allow me to bring my houseplants inside when I had to move back in with her after I finished college, so I planted them outside and just hoped for the best. Most of them died. The 2 different mint plants took over the entire yard, and by the time we moved out of that house, it head spread to the neighbours on both sides.
That her landlord even agreed to let her fill everything up with gravel...
agreed....what sane landlord would think that was a good idea? resale of that property would probably hinder it greatly.
Load More Replies...
If you are in the US, DON'T PLANT KUDZU!! one commenter suggested this, but it is an invasive species and a huge problem once it takes hold. Go on and rile up the neighbours, but leave the poor ecosystem alone. OP was clear she was using local plants.
I thought it was very considerate of the OP to plant a native. Invasive species shouldn't even be sold at gardening centers.
Load More Replies... Neighbors behind us planted mint one year. It took over their garden and spread into ours. They eventually gave up and turned their garden into a concrete patio. Meanwhile my husband and I spend a solid two days every year trying to dig out the mint so we can plant our vegetables (it’s three feet high and EVERYWHERE by late spring), and many hours after that battling it back before it can smother the carrots. Mint is truly unstoppable!
Funny thing is, I can't keep mint alive. I plant it and it up and dies every time
Load More Replies... mint doesnt grow fast enough in Africa. Here I would use bamboo to deal with this. Roots are incredibly tough and even a strong man with a hoe can't really remove it without several days of work. And it grows FAST.
Bamboo is a real pain in the a*s 👍 you need to dig it out and if you miss one root it grows back. Grows trough concrete, swimmingpools and ofcourse all throughout your garden
I once planted one of these ‘plant me’ seed paper in my yard and discovered with terror that it’s mint. Now my yard is infested with mint for four years and still running… these buggers 🥲 at least they smell nice
My mother wouldn't allow me to bring my houseplants inside when I had to move back in with her after I finished college, so I planted them outside and just hoped for the best. Most of them died. The 2 different mint plants took over the entire yard, and by the time we moved out of that house, it head spread to the neighbours on both sides.
That her landlord even agreed to let her fill everything up with gravel...
agreed....what sane landlord would think that was a good idea? resale of that property would probably hinder it greatly.
Load More Replies...
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