I grow several kinds of mint, and the bees love all of them as much as they love the rest of the herbs when they are in bloom. Basil is a classic herb to grow with tomatoes, no problems there. If you have any problems with tomato hornworm, plant in dill or other carrot family to help attract brachnoid wasps- those kill the hornworms.

No problem with basil. but mint is a thug and will spread everywhere. Grow it in a pot.

Neither plant will repel bees and as noted, when in flower mint is very attractive to bees. To maintain the best flavor, basil should not be allowed to flower but if it does, it will draw bees as well.

Planting mint as a 'cover crop' is not a good idea but not for the reasons you think. Mint is a very aggressive spreader and hard to remove or eliminate from planting areas once established. Best planted in its own dedicated container to control spread.

OTOH, basil and tomatoes are a classic planting combination.

I'm sorry it took me so long to answer. Thanks so much for all the info! You guys confirmed what I was already thinking. I just didn't want to make a rookie mistake (which I'm sure to make many of) And don't worry, the tomatoes were going in a self water containers to start with which is why I was thinking mint as a cover crop. I probably should have led with that. I'd welcome any other suggestions. I would just prefer to maximize space and not just mulch around the buckets.