Mint and Lavender Tea

A month ago I reluctantly cut down swathes of succulent green mint seemingly in its prime. Following Gardeners World advice it hung for a week in bunches in the greenhouse receiving a daily roasting from all that sunshine.

Once dried I stored the leaves in clean dry jars ready for use in the months to come

A job for yesterday was to cut back the lavender which had turned from the spectacular purple display of a few weeks ago to something still smelling good but much less attractive.

Ten years ago we built a patio outside our 1930s house and inspired by the book shown below packed the wall with scented herbs and plants. Handy for the kitchen as well.

Whether it is the passing of time or the stunning summer we have enjoyed the aromatherapy wall has thrived in 2013

A general all over herb "haircut" will make the area attractive for a month or more before autumn properly arrives as there are still plenty of late afternoons to be enjoyed outside even if those outdoor evenings are at an end.

Experimenting with the dried mint and lavender I followed a simple recipe for tea by steeping 1 tsp mint and 1tsp dried lavender in 2 cups boiling water for 5 minutes. Strain and pour into glasses, sweeten with a little honey and decorate. It was very refreshing and reminiscent of Turkish holidays.

As for the mint just as advised by those clever BBC gardening experts it is already growing back