Sunday 3 July 2011

A Box of Mints

Even when the weather warms up, I usually like to have a hot drink at some point in the day. The perfect light and refreshing alternative to  a caffeine loaded 'cuppa' is mint tea, preferably made with fresh herbs. Having a planter full of mint by the back door acts as a growing tea caddy - and also stops the mint plants turning into invasive thugs and running rampant through everything else.

This all began with clearing out a shed, one of those places where things that "might come in handy some day" get to congregate and settle into rusty retirement along with various bits that didn't warrant a run to the tip in their own right. I came out to review progress just as HeWhoWasLoadingTheBoot ready for the tip run had picked up an old bicycle basket. I doubt either of us can even recall how long it is since anyone living here has owned a bike but I found myself saying "Ah, hang on a minute." I quickly popped some plant pots in it to stake my claim and we finished packing up and taking a car load to the local recycling centre.
By the time I got back to look at what I had salvaged, my imagination had taken off completely. I was thinking it would hold a wonderful collection of flourishing herbs each with its own stylish label, may be like these made from old spoons. Of course the pots would have to be tall and narrow; terracotta naturally. Long Toms would do perfectly. Ideally the pots would have 'vintage character' - a tracery of leached lime or a green patina of moss. I could even achieve either of these effects with a little time and trickery and some help from the internet. Then the mist lifted and reality drifted back into focus. All of that would mean postponing the project and leaving stuff lying about again and that was counter to the spirit of the afternoon. And after all this was hardly some unique wire basket picked up from a brocante stall in a French flea market - clearly I spend too much time on the internet and browsing the gift sections of upmarket garden centres. Let's be practical, resourceful and set to work with what is already close at hand. Line the basket and plant directly into it. 
With that in mind, I raided the potting shed for weed suppressant membrane and raked the shadiest patch of the lawn for some moss and set to work.
Using weed suppressant membrane to line the basket seemed a good idea as it will allow excessive moisture through but hold the compost in. I tackled it in much the same way as I would line a loaf tin with baking parchment. I measured out a rectangle by wrapping the membrane down one side, across the base and up the other side and repeating that from front to back. Having cut that out, I then cut in from each corner of  the rectangle to the corner of the base. This allowed some overlap at the corners. I cut out the very top of each corner as those corners just curl in and get in the way. 
To keep the lining in place I used twist ties threaded through the overlapping layers in the corners and around the basket uprights in each corner. If I had had some pieces of polystyrene I would have put a layer of them in the bottom for drainage and that would have been a good idea if I was going to plant herbs like sage, thyme and oregano but mint is quite happy with moisture around the roots so sharp drainage isn't crucial. 
 I filled the basket with a mixutre of multi-purpose compost, sifted garden compost made in our garden and also I added a couple of trowelfuls of ash and charcoal from where we had our last bonfire. Now black membrane doesn't look all that special - considering the dreamy ambitions I had for this project earlier on. So at this point I tucked moss between the wire of the basket and the membrane lining. 

I found that I had several varieties of mint in various little pots and thought they would make a good collection for this basket. 
Morrocan mint - ideal for mint tea but also good for cooking.
Lime mint - this adds a citrussy kick to the mint flavour.
Corsican mint - this is a tiny leaved mint with a creeping habit but no diminuition of the lovely mint fragrance
Peppermint - makes a lovely tea to settle an upset stomach
Eau-de-cologne mint - another lovely tea, this time for those times when your head feels muzzy and a headache seems imminent.
Culinary mint - this was the remnants of a pot of mint I had bought in the supermarket after the the frosts had sent the mint in the garden into hibernation. ( I had forgotten to pot some up for the kitchen windowsill in early autumn.)
So all of these plants went into the basket and then I simply had to water and wait - skills  all gardeners have to practise often.
Weeks later and the plants seem to be very happy with their new quarters - as shown at the top of this post.
 My favourite bit? The way that the Corsican mint has settled into the understorey below the others and has crept out down the side to colonise the moss. It even has enchanting tiny mauve flowers.

The old bicycle basket has all but disappeared now (and when I come to replant it in the future I will wirebrush it to remove the last bits of decrepit plastic) but the mint seems very happy and I am happy to have it by the back door, handy to nip off a few sprigs for tea. 


2 comments:

  1. Great stuff. I am keen fan of yours and have your blog passed on to other interested parties.

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  2. Thanks for dropping by - glad you are enjoying the content.

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