Thursday, May 14, 2009

Minty

I want to share something with you. Bring your face close to the monitor and take a deep breath. Do you smell it? Try another breath.

Peppermint

It's peppermint. The mint family is one of the few plants that can survive my neglect. (My name is JAS and I have a black thumb.) But the true reason I grow mint is because I love the scent.

Mints come in all sorts of flavors. Peppermint is the most pungent. This is some spearmint growing in my garden. Spearmint is a nice addition to a tall glass of ice tea in the summer time.

Spearmint

Apple mint has fuzzy leaves and a very mild apple scent.

Apple mint

The first mint planted at Iron Acres was pineapple mint. This mint is a cultivar from the apple mint variety and boasts variegated leaves and a very mild, fruity scent.

Pineapple mint

All the mints have boundary issues, they are best planted in containers that inhibit their runners from taking over your garden.

Mint is wonderful after a rain. It is one of the things that makes me smile.

Another thing that makes me smile is thinking of our little girl Sprittle, Bee, who always asks if I have any "minty" in my purse. "Minty" is her word for breath fresheners, and Bee loves them.

Can you guess which grandmother has bought stock in Tic Tacs?