You've probably heard it before — plant mint around your house and the mice won't come in, the mosquitoes will stay back, the ants will think twice. It's one of those gardening claims that gets passed around so often it starts to feel like settled fact.

The honest version is more interesting than the myth, and it's actually still a pretty good case for growing mint outside — just for slightly different reasons than you might have been told.

Skip the store-bought favors. Pot up your own Kentucky Mint plants for Derby party guests — here's how, and where to find cheap pots.

Mint's spreading roots form a dense mat — does that help with erosion on a slope? Here's what we've observed growing mint on our own hillside field.

Garden gone to weeds? These tough, low-maintenance herbs — especially mint — actually thrive on neglect. Here's what to plant instead.