Mint

Mint seems to be a universal herb which grows everywhere from north to south and east to west, and can be made into mint sauce to serve with English roast lamb, made into tea and drunk in north Africa, used in raita in India and mojitos in the USA.

It grows like and is best contained within a pot unless you want it in every piece of the garden; I don’t mind as it smells lovely and the flowers are so pretty. In our family it was really only used steeped in vinegar and  to accompany lamb or mutton, but now I use it in all sort of things which would have seemed so strange when I was a child. The thought of pouring hot water on it and drinking the infusion would seem eccentric to say the least to my family when I was a child… now I like nothing better on a hot day!  One of my favourite salads is tabbouleh, I just adore it and the more fresh mint in it, the better!

 I like to take something when I go visiting, our garden seems bereft of flower at the moment, so what nicer (and more useful) than a nosegay of herbs, including, obviously, mint!