Childhood Memories
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 5:15 pm
You may remember that some time back I was bewailing the fact that it was almost impossible to get any of the really old fashioned Mint anymore, I mean the sort you used to see years ago growing in most peoples gardens. I loved it as a kid when my mum would ask me to go and pick some so that she could make Mint Sauce for Sunday lunch, I would watch her chop it very finely on her board and then add the vinegar, sugar and boiling water to make the sauce, the smell was heavenly and always reminded me of roast lamb and days gone bye.
I have often bought various kinds from garden centres and the like, but regardless of how it was described it never quite smelled as minty as the old variety used to. However the other day I was in Tesco and perusing their fresh herbs when I spotted some freshly cut Mint in a plastic bag. On closer inspection it came from Spain and it smelled divine, just like the old stuff used to so I bought a packet. First off I made myself a nice cup of sweet Mint Tea and it was lovely, this got me thinking back to when as a kid I would put mint stalks into a jar of water and how in a very short time they would sprout roots.
So I decided to give it a go with the remaining sprigs, after stripping off the lower leaves I put them into a half filled glass and left them. I changed the water every few days and soon some roots were starting to show. I prepared three polystyrene coffee cups by filling them with some old garden compost and poking a few holes around the base with a meat skewer for drainage. I also decided to hedge my bets by only transferring a couple of rooting sprigs every few days just in case they died off, that way I would have some more in the glass to keep trying with.
The biggest risk would be if the delicate roots that were forming in the glass with the water could sustain the sprig in a pot of compost long enough for those roots to keep it alive and make more roots and so establish a properly rooted plant. At the time of writing they are all now in the compost and it seems as if all the sprigs have taken as they are all showing signs of new growth, I do keep each pot watered each day, but not drowned, in order to make it easier for them to pick up water. So fingers crossed I will once again have some decent Mint growing in my herb pots this Summer bringing back happy memories as well as tasty Mint sauce and Tea.
I have often bought various kinds from garden centres and the like, but regardless of how it was described it never quite smelled as minty as the old variety used to. However the other day I was in Tesco and perusing their fresh herbs when I spotted some freshly cut Mint in a plastic bag. On closer inspection it came from Spain and it smelled divine, just like the old stuff used to so I bought a packet. First off I made myself a nice cup of sweet Mint Tea and it was lovely, this got me thinking back to when as a kid I would put mint stalks into a jar of water and how in a very short time they would sprout roots.
So I decided to give it a go with the remaining sprigs, after stripping off the lower leaves I put them into a half filled glass and left them. I changed the water every few days and soon some roots were starting to show. I prepared three polystyrene coffee cups by filling them with some old garden compost and poking a few holes around the base with a meat skewer for drainage. I also decided to hedge my bets by only transferring a couple of rooting sprigs every few days just in case they died off, that way I would have some more in the glass to keep trying with.
The biggest risk would be if the delicate roots that were forming in the glass with the water could sustain the sprig in a pot of compost long enough for those roots to keep it alive and make more roots and so establish a properly rooted plant. At the time of writing they are all now in the compost and it seems as if all the sprigs have taken as they are all showing signs of new growth, I do keep each pot watered each day, but not drowned, in order to make it easier for them to pick up water. So fingers crossed I will once again have some decent Mint growing in my herb pots this Summer bringing back happy memories as well as tasty Mint sauce and Tea.
