Gathering In, Hanging On

 

Afloat on a tinfoil rainbow

The first orange mint came into my life at least forty years ago....probably more. I had several herb gardens through several moves and major life changes. It was always a staple, brought along and loved on as a great ingredient in salads, stews, on meats, and in dried herb mixtures.

Then a few years ago chocolate mint joined the now small and restricted garden by the back door. Talk about aggressive! It about took over the place.

Despite rooting cuttings from the orange mint, potting off little side plants of it, and trying to stave off the invasive chocolate mint, by this spring it was entirely gone.

It is not easy to find, I gotta tell you. When we found several plants for sale on a wagon at Barber's down in Schoharie County we latched right on to a pair. They were planted out in one of the best spots in the backyard, surrounded by landscape fabric to stave off invaders, and clipped judiciously for cooking all summer long. Nothing I like better than one fat green leaf of orange mint and one leaf of lush purple sweet basil chopped up on a salad. Lovely flavor.

Anyhow, here comes winter again. Will it make it?  I am doing my best. One batch has already been dried and stashed in the cupboard. A second, larger haul is lying in state on a paper towel on the dining room table. One cutting is almost rooted and yesterday I cut off several runners that were making a break across the landscape fabric toward the driveway and put them in water too.

Guess I will keep clipping a little bit until frost and maybe encourage some of those runners to root in soil as well.

Will it make it? I sure hope so. Another forty years worth would be nice, although I don't expect to be around to count them all. Meanwhile, we will soon have enough stored for this year at least.

Circles

So many years ago...the shop is closed now I guess...but I used to buy herb plants and bring them home. They have been moved so many times to so many different gardens over the years, perhaps the best traveled mint in town. There used to be many more kinds, but alas, they have perished from winters and oats and such.

I lost the Apple Mint last winter, so cold, so cold....and the Thyme, but that is always chancy.



When it was decided to drop the big Honey Locust...which hasn't happened yet...I moved the tiny remaining Orange Mint plant and a Chocolate Mint Liz bought last year to new beds near the house.

They liked their new beds and have flourished. And in the interests of potential income next spring I have been cutting and rooting and potting. They take to it like bunnies, multiplying happily on windowsills and upstairs in the big windows there.

I have discovered that the plastic tool trays out of old tool boxes from garage sales are perfect for small plant pots. Nice handles, and you can fill them with water and keep thirsty plants comfy. Quite a few plants fit in each.

Today I picked a bunch more of all three mints...I have a tiny Peppermint too...and put more to root, and more in pots, and more upstairs. To root them in water, one must strip off the lower leaves. These get washed and dried on a paper plate for cooking later...or at least the Orange Mint does...great seasoning for meats and sauces.

 I ordered a package of Apple Mint seeds on Amazon today, with rewards I get for taking surveys....feels like a circle to me.

My Favorite Herb

I have this love affair with lovage. My mom gave me a chunk from her plant several years ago and at first my reaction was mostly dismay. You know...the whole six feet tall and growing like kudzu thing. It smelled so strongly of celery that I was afraid to use it.


Last year I overcame my trepidation and slowly began to use leaves in soups, stews, spaghetti sauce etc. Then we all started cooking meat with it. Soon it became a staple, with dinner seeming downright bare without it. Last summer I froze some (wash it and throw it in a freezer bag) dried some in the oven, dried some on paper towels, left some on the counter to wither until I got around to using it, and we cooked with it all winter.


The last two jars are just about empty. Maybe two or three good tablespoons left. I was beginning to worry about running out and have been skimping the past couple of weeks. Then today I went out to shoot my Sunday Stills Easter pic and look what I found! If I was the type I would do a happy dance.


And on a totally different topic...how would you react, say you were pretty darned conservative and wrote a farm column for your local paper, and included in the text of your column, right at the end, not separated in any way from your paragraph (in a story about goats btw) the powers that be placed a public service announcement for the area Democratic Committee? I am sorta kinda dumbfounded.

Hyssop

We added hyssop to the herb garden for the first time last summer. It wintered over well and in the contained area by the honey locust it doesn't seem invasive. It has produced a few seedlings though, which I will pot up when I get a chance.....it is too nice not to share. We don't really use it for anything, but it is attractive and we love the scent.
A crushed leaf smells just like licorice.
We give each other leaves sometimes.