Mint Family

Let's talk about the mint family this week. The mint family is more than a bit of spearmint here and some peppermint there.

Mint Family - 4/8/24-4/14/24

Monday, April 8, 2024

Good morning! Today is Eclipse Day. Some are calling for the return of Christ while others realize that occasionally the moon does pass in front of the sun. This has happened before and it will happen again. We have eclipse glasses but there are overcast skies with rain likely so we probably won't get a show here.

This is the best eclipse shot I got and about all we saw of it.

Well, it stayed cloudy all morning. We had zero customers and just filled orders all day. Then close to 1:30pm, we went out in the parking lot and got tiny glimpses of something going on up there. It got pretty dark for a few moments. Below are the photos we got.

Eclipse glasses...

About 30 minutes before the eclipse time.

Just at the darkest moment, a car pulled in to the parking lot. Wouldn't you know it? A customer just as we are starting to see something. I just kept watching the clouds. It got lighter. We saw little glimpses and then it was over. Yes, the customer came for seeds and plants. She left and three more sets of customers pulled in, one after the other. They all bought seeds and plants and by 2pm, we were done for the day. No one else came. It was strange.

The broth is golden and it came out so delicious.

Sauteed asparagus from the garden in olive oil went with dinner.

I made homemade chicken and dumplings for dinner. I boiled a chicken in the morning and then took it off the bone and handmade dumplings. I made a huge pot. It was delicious.

By the way, we never got rain at all, just thick clouds all day.

Mint Family Is Called Lamiaceae

Lemon balm growing. It is part of the mint family.

Starting this week, we will learn more about what types of plants are included in the mint family. When I was a little girl, growing up in LaGrange, NY, we had wild spearmint growing in our yard. It came back every year. We would pick it for iced tea and I would pick the leaves to chew them. I loved spearmint then and I still love it now.

The mint family consists of flowering plants and most of them smell very nice. The list below includes some of the Lamiaceae family. We sell some, but not all of the seeds on the list below.

Basil including Holy Basil
Bergamot
Bells of Ireland
Catnip
Chia
Coleus
Dittany
Dragonhead
False Dragonhead
Germander
Horehound
Hyssop
Lamb’s Ears
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Marjoram
Mint including peppermint and spearmint
Oregano
Patchouli
Rosemary
Sage
Salvia
Savory including both summer savory and winter savory
Thyme

This is Thyme, the Summer variety.

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

The rainy view from the pond this morning as I fed the fish.

Good morning. It is rainy right now. I had to go out early and open everything up because Matt has jury duty today over in Hondo. I also had to go out back and feed all of the animals. Then I came in and made breakfast. It is now 8:22am and I just finished eating. My sink is full of last night's dishes because I fell asleep on the couch...

David just went out. I am hoping at least two employees are here this morning. One is on a fire call. He is a volunteer fireman. Of course, Matt is elsewhere.

It is now pouring out and is 8:27am. I finally got out to Fulfillment. I had helpers today to pull the orders while I closed. Matt got back from jury duty around 2pm as the person decided to take a plea deal.

David and I went in to Pleasanton to take several UPS packages and to run some important errands. We got back and Nacho had laid down the Prevent gluten free cornmeal and was watering it in the side yard by our house. He called me over and told me to look at the oak tree we planted there.

Matt by oak tree outside of my bedroom window.

It took me a while but I finally saw a giant honeybee hive...with many, many honeybees. I got Matt and told David but he has not gone to look at it yet. According to one of the workers, the hive has been there for a few months. Looks like we have to hire someone to come remove it. How very scary. I walk past there to get to the dumpster when I bring trash from the animals. I know there are a lot of bees in the yard. Now I know why!

At first, it looks like a pineapple in the tree.

Then you begin to see that it is many bees...

I zoomed in so you can see the bees. They are moving and doing whatever it is that they love to do.

All of our extra helpers are gone now. It is 3:30pm and I am going to continue with filling orders. I have actually had a very upsetting day so I am going to try and get my mind off of it by watching some videos.

David called a bee removal company. They told David over the phone that the bees are just here for a day or two and are passing through. He said to wait a while to see if they go away. He also said they could start building a hive in one of the walls of our house because the tree is very close to the house but that he did not want to come out and remove it and that the bees have not been here for months like one of the lawn workers said. Hopefully we don't get stung. I guess we will be keeping them.

Amazingly, at 7pm, David came in the house and said the bees were gone. I went out and, sure enough, the bees were gone except for about ten of them still swarming around a bird's nest in the tree.

Around 11pm, the power went out and the generator kicked on. I was in the shower at the time. It poured and the wind was strong.

Earlier in the day, our Little Finger carrots were harvested.

Here is the carrot harvest from today. This is the Little Finger so they are not very big.

Mint Family

These 2 trays include some mint plants that we grow to sell.

There are actually over 7,000 species of plants that are a part of the mint family. I had no idea of this when I started this page. The mint family plants all have square stems and opposite leaves. If there is one on the right, there is also a leaf on the left.

Some of the members of the mint family are used for cooking while others are used for medicinal purposes.

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

It started at 59° and it is windy out this morning. Everything is wet. David and I have to go into San Antonio today for a doctor's appointment. Fun times.

I went out to check on the bee swarm. There are zero bees but there was an old bird's nest. We took that down. Hopefully, they don't come back at all.

We grabbed Cane's for lunch on the way out of San Antonio. It was so good. It is very seldom that we get any good food anymore. Nothing out this way is good except for Constantino's Pizza over in Somerset and Billy Bob's Burgers in Devine.

The wind has kicked up a lot this afternoon and the sky is blue. The sun is shining and it is 75° at 3pm.

We went to the doctor in San Antonio and then went across the city to the seed counter place. All of our seed machines need some fixing and the company we got them from will not answer the phone or emails. We finally found the place after the doctor visit and then David went in. It turns out the owner got sick and then fell and broke himself. He has been in the hospital for weeks. His brother is trying to keep the business going and they have just one technician. He will not make house calls even though the website says they do. Anyway, they said to bring the machines by and they would see what they can do.

Not sure what we will do. We need to find some brand new counters, the digital ones that cost $100,000.00. Someone came two years ago and demonstrated one to us. It was so awesome but we don't have the money. We pay cash for things or we go without.

Today is National Siblings Day. My two brothers have not liked me or been nice to me since I got married so we will pretend they do not exist. They wouldn't even attend my wedding. I have one sister, Norma, whom you met when she visited this past November and December.

My little sister Norma at the official selfie spot at David's Garden Seeds®. Happy National Siblings Day!

Mint Family

Members of the mint family can be hostile plants that take over every other plant in the bed in which they are planted. For the most part, we plant mint in its own containers so that does not happen like it did back in the early 2000s.

When we built our home in San Antonio in 2001, David made several raised beds. I had two small pecan trees, some rose bushes, and some other flowers in one. It was quite large. Then I added some spearmint, not realizing that mint takes over. The mint slowly spread throughout the entire bed over the course of several years, killing everything but the pecan trees. They got bigger and held their own but the other plants including the rose bush died because the mint overtook it all. I pulled all of the mint up by the roots only to have the mint come back in small amounts over the next few years. It is hard to kill once you plant it.

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Strawberries harvested from our garden.

Good morning. I have been making a Walmart grocery delivery on my phone for most of the morning. This weekend will be the Poteet Strawberry Festival. If you want to shop for eggs, coffee, seeds, etc., come out here this weekend. No one comes out here while the festival is going on so there will be no crowds at the farm.

This morning, one of the female rabbits is finally getting ready to deliver. She has been pulling her hairs off to make a nest. We have been trying for months to have some babies.

The morning started at 50° and is currently 59° at 9am.

We had two customers this morning and that was it for the whole day. The orders were way down and I finished them long before lunch. I wonder what is going on in the United States that people are not buying seeds for their spring garden...I know there are some storms but not over the entire country. We checked with some of our friends at other seed companies. They report that sales are down about 89% from last year at this time.

So this afternoon, I worked on some future website pages. Matt was out on an errand so I took care of all of the animals this evening.

Mint Family

We grew these basil plants in our greenhouse and sold them all.

Interestingly, some of the most popular cooking herbs are members of the mint family, even though they do not have a minty flavor. Basil is a part of the mint family. You can flavor dishes with it and you can also make a refreshing iced tea out of basil leaves. There are many varieties of basil, just like there are many varieties of mint out there. Spearmint and peppermint flavor gum, toothpaste, mouthwash, breath mints, antacids, and some of our favorite candies like peppermint discs and gummy spearmint leaves.

Basil is also used to make pesto sauce for pasta. Yum! Oregano and marjoram are more delicious flavors we add to Italian dishes. Have you ever had lavender flavored lemonade? Yes, it is tasty.

Lemon balm tastes very good and can be used to flavor lemon dishes if you don't have lemon juice or lemon peel. Savory, rosemary, common sage, and thyme are probably in your spice cabinet right now.

Common sage is a main ingredient in poultry seasoning that we put on our Thanksgiving turkeys every year so I know you are familiar with that.

Basil is one of the premier seasonings used in Italian cooking, like pasta dishes and pizza sauce. I just love Italian food, don't you?

Common sage is normally used in every home on Thanksgiving turkeys. It is also good on any poultry.

Friday, April 12, 2024

Strawberry harvest from our garden.

Good morning! It is pleasantly chilly today at 50° at 6am. I just checked weather maps for across the USA and the temperatures are in the 60s to the 80s. Everyone should be planting spring gardens. Yet, sales for seed companies are way down from spring of 2023. Why?

We have very few hot pepper plants left, 2 jalapeno, some Big Jim hot peppers, and the rest are serranos.

My orders are sent out for the day. It is now 1pm. We have had two couples visit our Farm Store today. Of course, the Poteet Strawberry Festival starts this evening. The rides were going but no vendors last night. We did not attend. We will be open today until 5pm and tomorrow from 10am until 2pm if you want seeds, pecan coffee, and eggs. We have a small tray of hot pepper plants left including a few jalapeno plants, a few Big Jim hot pepper plants, and some serrano pepper plants, all grown by us from our seed in the greenhouse.

I just replanted three large pots out near the parking lot because the flowers growing in them died. Why? Because they were not being watered. I have no words...The wind has been blowing all day long and still is.

We had another customer who bought two snake plants and some seed packs.

Snake plants aka Mother-In-Law's Tongue reproduce quickly in the soil.

Before this day is over, let me say that it is my paternal grandmother's birthday. On this day, 116 years ago, Elvina Bertha Thurst was born on a farm in Pine Plains, NY. She had eight siblings, got married and had one son, my father. She had great influence on my life. I loved being at her house which was right across the street from my childhood home.

She was a self made business woman back in 1966 following the death of her husband from a heart attack. From then on, she supported herself as a seamstress, the best in all of Dutchess County, NY. She made most of my clothes when I was a child. She made beautiful wedding and evening gowns and all sorts of clothes for customers who would stop by for fittings. She was an amazing woman. She passed away on May 9, 1995.

Mint Family

Basil is going to seed. Basil is a member of the mint family.

The flowers of the mint family are almost always somewhere between blue and purple. There are a few exceptions like on pineapple sage and on bee balm which both have red flowers. Mint family flowers are a big attractor of bees and butterflies so they should definitely be included in pollinator gardens.

Flowers on the mint family do not grow right away. Once the plant is done for the season, it bolts or turns to flowering stems. This is where the seeds come from.

Saturday, April 13, 2024

We had a beautiful sunrise this morning over the farm.

Good morning. No baby rabbits yet but there should be some in the next few days. All of the animals are okay. I set up an automatic discount code this morning. Spend $20 and get 15% off on individual seed packets. Seed collection sets are not included. No code needed. The 15% will automatically be taken off of your order now when you spend at least $20 on individual seed packs at David's Garden Seeds.

The Strawberry Festival is going on today and our Farm Store is open now until 2pm. We have lots of farm fresh eggs in the fridge so come on by and pick yours up. It is currently 69° at 10:12am and the wind will get gusty at noon according to the weather report.

It turns out that we had a big number of customers come to the store after all. As I have said before, no one ever comes on the Saturday of Strawberry Festival but people did come today.

After we closed, David and I drove down to Poteet. The place was wall to wall people with lots of businesses charging $15 or $20 to park. Parking lots were packed. They were using metal detectors on everyone going in so it took a very long time to get through the line.

A line of people waiting to get in the festival gates along with some of the carnival in the back.

A few of the food booths outside of the fairgrounds. There were many on both sides of the road all along the main strip in Poteet. The place was packed.

Then we got some groceries. I scored some beautiful strawberries at the grocery store. Sorry, but there is no way I am paying $50 for a flat of strawberries. I got 32 ounces for $4.22. They are big and juicy. We went home and I made homemade strawberry shortcake biscuits. I had strawberry whipped cream. They were so good!

Strawberries from Walmart were beautiful and delicious.

Svengoolie was a replay so we watched Star Trek 2009 while we ate. It was good. We had not watched that movie in 13 years.

Mint Family

This is Kitty. She is 14 and still loves catnip, a member of the mint family.

Some members of the mint family are used for medicinal purposes. Catnip is used to calm or excite cats. Our cat flips out over catnip and gets very hyper at home. But if we have gone to the vet where she gets really upset, the catnip calms her down. She just hates the vet and hisses and carries on something awful.

Catnip is a member of the mint family and can easily calm a cat down.

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Our tomato plants are doing very well but here comes the heat!

Good morning! I got up, took care of the animals, got ready, went to church, then came home, got all of the eggs packed up, boiled the old eggs that did not sell for the chickens, and had leftovers for lunch.

Church attendance has really fallen off. On Easter, we had 14. Last week, we had 10. Today we had seven. That is okay.

The temperature started out at 69° and now it is 84°.

Some tomato and pepper plants in a garden bed near the driveway.

Mint Family

Some of our peppermint plants for sale.

Let's talk about candy and sweet treats and members of the mint family. Lemon balm can make sweet, lemon flavored treats. Spearmint and peppermint, as mentioned above, are popular candy flavors, both in hard candy and chewy, soft candies.

Horehound is used to make one of my favorite hard candies, horehound candies. That is a delicious flavor that my father introduced me to when I was little. There are few other candy flavors that excite me more. A bag of hard horehound candies not only taste good, but they are good to soothe a sore throat or calm a cough.

Peppermint candy is good to calm an upset stomach.

Return from Mint Family to Year Five On The Farm

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