Saturday, July 2, 2011

Spearmint Tea and Carpenter Bees

Carpenter Bee on Salvia, Indigo Spires

Carpenter Bee on Salvia, Indigo Spires

The snake tragedy described in the previous entry left me discomfited and a little headachy.  I need some mint tea. Happily, despite the parching weather, my garden is verdant with spearmint.  

According to my herbal, besides being delicious, mint is useful for alleviating disturbed feelings and headaches, and in restoring strength -  an excellent remedy!  There is also a bit about mint’s relieving flatulence and aiding the flow of bile, but let’s move on.

We just had the hottest June on record and this drought, also a record-breaker, shows no sign of ending.  There have been no butterflies visiting.  Only a black and red milkweed bug crawls over the tall milkweed.  The activity this morning is among the salvias where carpenter bees are nuzzling the purple blossoms. 

I’m walking to the opposite side of the garden where we have a 3 ft x 7ft raised vegetable bed.  The golden cherry tomatoes have been a delight all month.  I can’t resist popping a few of those jewels in my mouth.  Here is the mint, growing in subterranean pots, untroubled by the heat.  I gather a basketful.

Back in the cool, shady house,  I stuff leaves into a pot, add boiling water, and let it steep for a while.  The fragrance of mint fills the house. The resulting brew is a lovely greenish-gold.  In this hot weather, iced tea is the way to go.  I decant my concoction over crushed ice and crunch in a straw.  Refreshing!  
Spearmint Tea steeping.

After posing for this picture, the mint tea was served over ice!

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