A Souvenir You Can Grow

I went to the Netherlands earlier this spring with a small group of photographers, and I was expecting to be inspired by the tulips.

I was.

Keukenhof Gardens had been on my travel bucket list for years, and it delivered: millions of blooms, breathtaking displays, and more flower photography than I could possibly imagine.

But the surprise that followed me home wasn’t a tulip. It was a glass of fresh mint tea.

When I picked up my lunch tray with my sandwich, there was my order of tea. Not a tea bag, like I was expecting. Instead, someone had taken a BIG handful of fresh mint, tucked it upside down into a clear glass, and poured hot water over it. If you’ve ever purchased fresh mint at a grocery store, you’ll know that what was in that glass was twice as much as the little package you’d take home. That was it. No tea bag. No loose tea. Just fresh mint.

After getting over my astonishment, and by the time I finished that simple cup of tea, I knew exactly what I wanted to grow when I returned to Minnesota. For the first time ever, I decided to plant mint in a window box container.

Today, two kinds of mint are growing just outside my door: spearmint for fresh tea and Mojito mint. I planted spearmint specifically for tea, but when I saw a plant labeled “Mojito Mint” at Bachman’s, I decided one plant wasn’t enough. It has since found its way into a few summer mojitos, including an alcohol-free version.

Diana note: Mojito Mint has a bit of spice to it. Just sayin’.

And those little white flowers between the two mints? That’s sweet alyssum, left over from an earlier planting. I tucked it in as a sweet-smelling neighbor. The mint, however, has other ideas and is already starting to crowd it out. Which brings me to my next point.

Here’s a little secret about mint: it’s one of the few plants I would never put in the ground. I learned that from my mother. She grew mint in the ground at our home in Central California, tucked into the shade where it could survive our 100-degree summer days, and she was proud that it did. What she discovered next is what every gardener discovers. In a garden bed, mint spreads by underground runners and will happily take over everything in its path. Ask anyone who planted ‘just a little mint’ ten years ago. They’re probably still pulling it.

A container solves the spreading problem. The pot keeps those wandering roots contained, and a window box near the kitchen door means fresh tea is never more than a few steps away. In my experience, that convenience matters. Herbs you can reach in your slippers get used. Herbs at the back of the yard get admired from the window.

Mint is also wonderfully easy to please. Mine gets morning sun on my east-facing patio and it’s thriving. Keep the soil consistently moist (mint is not a plant that enjoys drying out), and snip it often. This is the rare plant that actually rewards you for taking more. Every stem you cut encourages two new ones, so the more tea you make, the bushier your plant becomes.

One Minnesota note: mint is a tough perennial in the ground, but roots in a container are more exposed to our winters. I treat my window box mint as a replant-each-spring pleasure. At a few dollars a plant, it may be the best souvenir budget I’ve ever had.

Fresh Mint Tea

1. Snip 4 to 8 fresh sprigs of spearmint.

2. Rinse well.

3. Place the stems and leaves in a heatproof glass or mug.

4. Pour boiling water over the mint.

5. Steep 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Remove the mint, or leave it in while you sip.

That’s the whole recipe. No tea bag required. If you like a touch of sweetness, a little honey stirred in while the tea is hot is lovely.

If you plant a second variety like I did, here’s my easy alcohol-free version:

1. Muddle 8 to 10 Mojito mint leaves with the juice of half a lime and a teaspoon of sugar or simple syrup in the bottom of a glass. (Diana Note: Don’t mash or grind it. It might turn bitter so just “bruise” it.)

2. Fill the glass with ice.

3. Top with sparkling water, give it a gentle stir, add a lime slice.

Garnish with a fresh sprig, straight from the window box.

Now, every time I snip a handful of leaves and steep them in hot water, I’m reminded that some of the best souvenirs aren’t something you buy. They’re ideas you can grow.

Remember: Everything happens just the way it is mint to.

Diana

#bloomwithme

Need more ideas?

Check out these ideas from Gertens or The Spruce Eats.

Thanks for spending part of your week with Bloom with Me. Next Wednesday, we’re meeting the man who runs the Mn State Fair Vegetable and we’ll learn what it takes to win a ribbon.