'Wild' Mint

Mint, meet Sandstone

I like to think of any plant that reproduces in the garden without my help as 'wild.' Onions are the ubiquitous 'wild' plant as there are always a number of bulbs that break-off in the hard ground during the previous harvest and then re-sprout the following spring. This year's wild produce includes: lettuce growing in most of the side-walk cracks by my front door (bolting lettuce spread it's seed last year); cilantro amongst the carrots and shallots; corn sprouts in between rows in the back; the 3rd year of parsley hunkered next to thermal mass of the water tank; and several types of mint that re-seeded itself in the waffle garden. I find it interesting to note when these species emerge from soil each year, and contrast that with my usual planting dates and expectations--the 'wild' plants usually emerge weeks before I would have expected them to. Right now, it's the latter on this list that I'm most excited about. The 'chocolate' mint variety came up very early in the spring and was only damaged slightly by the recent frigid night that dropped to 20 degrees for most of the early morning. The only shoots that were adversely affected were those in the middle of the planting square (a waffle garden is partitioned by low rock walls that retain heat), furthest away from the warming rocks. The mint makes an amazing tea steeped with honey, or mixed with loose leaf green tea for a caffeinated version. The connivence of scampering out the back door half-clothed and half-awake each morning to gather mint has inspired me to add more tea producing perennials to my garden.