PEPPERMINT -- THE PLANT EVEN MY KIDS CAN'T KILL

If you have room, plant one peppermint plant. Yup, one should be more than enough unless you're going into business, then maybe you'll need two.<grin> Peppermint, as with most other mints, is very fast growing and quickly takes over any space available. For that reason, a trellis is a nice option (not often seen in gardens) and makes picking sprigs very easy.

Some quick and easy uses for peppermint that the kids will love helping with:

• Pick 6-7 (or more) good size sprigs, put into a non-metal pot, and bring to a boil. Wonderful on those stuffy nose days.
• Chew a couple leaves for fresher breath.
• Make peppermint tea (if using fresh leaves, use twice as many for the same strength), a handful of leaves is my preference, or for those in warmer climates, put the leaves straight into some iced tea.
  
• Share a cutting with a neighbor whose garden hasn't yet been invaded by it. <g>

DECORATE YOUR LIFE WITH LAVENDER

Early last summer I planted one store-bought (yes, K-Mart) French lavender plant. It was about 2" in height and looked somewhat like the leaves of the lavender that had just died in my garden after years of wonderful harvests. However, the tag only said French lavender (no latin name) so I took a chance. 5 months later this plant has gone insane. It is a small hedge, roughly 4-5 feet in height and the same in width. It's actually taking over the peppermint patch/trellis (which is a feat in and of itself!). What can I say? El Niño has hit Santa Barbara <g> ... I can't wait for Spring/Summer when I can harvest and find out if this is really French lavender (aka Spanish lavender) or the more common true or hardy variety of lavender. If it's anything like my past harvests, the uses will be limitless. If you are blessed with lots of space, plant several varieties if you can find them. Be careful to shade and water your plants if you live in places which exceed 90-95 degrees for more than 30 days in summer.

Perhaps Lynda (Abby) can tell you all better, but it seems to me that the scents and tastes are actually much stronger in the dried varieties than when freshly picked. So when making items for use, I always double up the amount when using fresh.

When lavender blooms this spring and summer, make sure and use the fresh flowers and leaves as:

• simple gifts of cut flowers for a favorite friend or family member.
• decoration on and/or in candles, soaps, and other crafts.
• a floral bath tossing the flowers straight into the bath water.

and dry some cuttings for:

• sachets and potpourris.
• dried flower decorations for your spring and summer kitchen table.
• pressed flower art made into picture frames topped with varnish.
• use in muslin bags in your bath or jacuzzi.

and use pure lavender essential oil in:

• jacuzzi or spa (10 drops per person is best)
• a diffuser or ceramic pot (20 drops is quite wonderful)
• any homemade bath products you are creating (add some to our Pacific Solar Mineral Sea Salt)

THANKS CATHE

Wish we knew the botanical name of your lavender. That's one of the beefs I have with commercial growers. They don't always put the botanical names on their tags. In the Labiatae family there are numerous species. There's Lavandula officinalis syn. L. angustifolia, L. spica (known as spike lavender), L. stoechas, L. vera, and L. dentata which is known as French lavender. This may be the botanical name of the one you got from K-Mart since it was tagged French lavender. The best quality lavender essential oil is produced by L. officinalis, but the best scented flower buds may well be L. dentata. Let us know how it compares this summer when it is in bloom.

I also find I need twice the amount of fresh lavender than dried. This is true with many herbs. For instance, in culinary recipes 2 tsp fresh oregano would equal 1 tsp dried oregano. But, some herbs lose a little potency when dried in which case using them fresh is better.

THE LARGE MINT FAMILY

The mints are included in the Labiatae family and so is basil, oregano, marjoram, sage, thyme, and many other herbs. As you can see, this is a large family with lots of 'cousins', but when we speak of mint we are generally referring to peppermint or spearmint. We also have fun with different varieties like applemint, orange mint, pineapple mint, and chocolate mint.

Cathe wasn't kidding when she said one mint plant would be enough. They spread so quickly and a cutting will easily root in water or directly in the ground. Be warned ... don't plant mint where you don't want it to invade the whole garden. I plant them in a large clay pots and keep them well trimmed so the runners are never allowed to reach out and take root in the ground.

KICKING OFF THE NEW YEAR

We're happy to have you back with us and we look forward to a very interesting and informative year of herbal newsletters. If there is an herbal topic you'd like for us to get into, please let us know. We'll do our best to bring it to you.

Our goal is to bring collective knowledge together to provide accurate herbal information, giving references whenever possible, for the purpose of being informed when choosing self-help and alternative approaches to health and lifestyle. At no time should this publication be considered prescription or treatment, nor should any information published herein be misinterpreted as such. The publishers can not be held responsible for the mishandling of information by its readers.

Please do not take herbal information lightly.
Remember our motto is ... When in doubt, don't!
Until next Monday I remain,

Herbally yours, Abby

Lynda "Abby" Trahan
Abby's Herb Company
P.O. Box 213
Round Top, TX 78954

lynda@abbysherbshop.com
www.abbysherbshop.com

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