AS I write this, the temperature in the shade is 28°C. I began
the day with a refreshing cup of tea from the Tregothnan estate,
near Truro. My thoughts turned to grow-your-own tea. Any garden in
which camellias thrive with warmth, moisture, and no extremes of
temperature can support Camellia sinensis, the tea bush.
Patience is needed, however; it will be at least five years before
the shoot tips can be harvested in spring to brew a green tea, and
black tea requires a slow drying and fermentation process.
Mint is a much simpler option. Most gardens have a patch of mint
somewhere. I can vividly remember being sent out to gather the
leaves, as a child, for the lamb roast on a Sunday. I would stir
the chopped leaves with vinegar and sugar, and inhale the pungent
aroma.
The botanical name for mints, Mentha, is derived from
Greek mythology. Hades, the god of the underworld, fell for the
charms of the water nymph Minthe. Hades's wife and queen,
Persephone, metamorphosed the nymph into the plant Mentha
in a fit of jealousy.
A neglected garden is liable to have a large patch, as the
common species Mentha spicata (spearmint or garden mint)
and Mentha x piperita (peppermint) spread
vigorously via rhizomes. In the Bible, a mint, Mentha
longifolia (horsemint), is one of the tithing herbs, which
Jesus dismisses as being too easily acquired to have real
value.
Mint will cope with neglect, but it is worth taking care to grow
it well. The healthiest and most productive plants are those given
free rein in rich well-drained soil in a sunny spot. Tidy gardeners
may favour container culture, in which case-dividing and repotting
each autumn is needed to maintain the plant's vigour.
A halfway house is to plant it in a container (anything will do,
as long as it has drainage holes at the base), and sink it into a
border up to its rim. Again, replanting will be needed, but only
every two to three years if the vessel is large.
Spearmint and peppermint are fine for a brew-up. Mentha
suaveolens, or apple mint, is lovely, too. Simply tear a few
leaves into a cup, and top up with just-boiled water. A glass
teapot infuser turns it into more of an occasion. Mint tea can be
left to cool (the infused leaves removed), and served with ice, a
dash of lime juice, sugar if desired, and perhaps a few borage
flowers.
A herbal-tea connoisseur influenced by the cooling tisanes
served in North Africa would probably turn to Mentha spicata
var. crispa "Morrocan" (Moroccan mint). Perhaps the crème
de la crème in the mint-for-tea world is Mentha suaveolens
subsp. timija (Atlas Mountain mint).
Mint plants add to a garden's bio-diversity. When in flower,
besides attracting butterflies, mint is favoured by hoverflies and
lacewings, both of whose larvae are aphid predators. Edulis nursery
supplies a wide range of mints (www.edulis.co.uk); and Penborn Goat
Farm holds the National Collection of Mentha
(www.penborngoats.com/plantsforsale.htm).
Raise your glasses for mint, please.