First Mint

Bellevue Seedlings, 3-21-11

     The picture above is of a cold frame at the park currently being used to grow out and harden some of my veggie starts.  That's just some.  What have I done?  There are more on the porch.  I can imagine hours upon my knees trying to get all of these in the ground at some future date.  I have asked for takers without great response.  Hint, hint.
     The cold frames are empty bottomed, so things from last year can and will pop up to regrow or start from seed.  In the bottom right hand corner above, you can see the mint starting to grow from under the seed packs.  Now some of you probably consider mint to be a nasty invasive weed.  And you would be right.  But it does mightily improve a cup of tea in my opinion.  And on a cold cloudy day in March like today, oh what a beautiful weed.  As a bonus, the tiny little beneficial wasps love the dainty mint flowers.

Cold Frame Close-up, 3-21-11

     This is a closer shot of the top left corner of the previous picture.  I snipped off lots of those nice dark green tufts of fresh mint.  The first of the year!  Next it will be upstairs to brew a large mug of raspberry herbal tea, with several sprigs of mint floating around.  May even help my wife feel better about her nasty cold.  You can't see them in this picture, but there are dozens of little cole crop babies also sprouting in the frame.  The mint is only just breaking ground immediately outside the cold frame.