Harvesting Mint and Tending Flowers

Autumn days have arrived at the countryside. The days are cooler now; you can’t really wear shorts anymore, though it’s still quite warm during the day—warm enough for just a T-shirt. I spent these autumn days harvesting mint. It was a nice day—bright, with a sky that looked almost summery, even though the heat was gone. It gets dark quickly, too—so dark you can barely see a thing.

I spent the day gathering mint. I trimmed the bushes with pruning shears and cut off the flowers. Mint plants have flowers; if you drop them on the ground, new plants will grow next year. They’re lovely little purple blossoms. Afterward, I stripped the mint leaves into a bag and took them to the city to dry and use for tea. I left the rest of the bushes at the countryside to dry.

There was plenty of mint. I harvested a lot of bushes but left some growing for next year. It was a "minty" kind of day—sunny, with a sky that looked like summer, even though the air was cool. I didn't do much else in the garden. I noticed the asters had finished blooming, but the marigolds were still growing and flowering—the brightest corner of the garden, with orange and dark red marigolds. Pure autumn beauty! I did add some fertilizer to the roses; I’m going to try to grow them as long as possible. They probably won't have time to bloom, but I managed to get them planted. They need special soil or high-quality earth; just any old dirt won't do for roses.

I’ve usually been lucky at this time of year—both last season and the one before. There was a day that felt more like summer, and I wore shorts at the countryside—shorts are my sign of summer; if I’m wearing them, I’m heading to the countryside. If it’s colder, I don’t. That’s my rule. I’ve usually had good luck with the weather during the first two weeks of autumn; it tends to be a bit warmer. There was one time when autumn turned cold right away, and the season ended abruptly. This time, however, I brought a sweater and warm trousers; I’m ready to spend time at the countryside even in autumn weather. It’s a personal record of sorts—the countryside season is continuing. It’s a warm autumn now, though not quite summer.

Later, I worked on my computer and installed some software, though—as usual—I didn't actually play any games. I really should, though. That’s a great routine: play some games, run around the garden, get some chores done, and then start the cycle all over again. I still remember those moments—racing in *Need for Speed II*, then heading out to the garden. Back then, I wasn't really a gardener; I’d just goof around outside. Now, there’s plenty of work to do in the garden. I’m even thinking about harvesting mint—just in case—at the end of August. I brought seven plants for the hoop greenhouse: purslane and daisies. I planted them while they were still small. It’s a hoop greenhouse—basically just one standard-sized container. It’s a test to see how they fare in September and October; I’ll bring them back inside later.

I’m curious about the watering, and how well the spunbond fabric protects against the cold—I think it’s the 40-gsm variety. I also want to see how much light gets through; plants need light, after all. And I’m testing how the black, 60-gsm spunbond protects the soil from the cold. I grow plants in containers and trays, so that fabric acts as an extra layer of insulation. All in all, I’ve got plenty to keep me busy. I finally finished washing all the containers I used for growing and packed them away in a bag. I’ll likely need them again in the spring, when the new gardening season begins.

I checked what warm clothes were already at the countryside. There are a few things there—like sweaters—that are still wearable. But I’ve also brought along an old sweater specifically for countryside use, plus some trousers for doing garden chores. I took stock of the chilly air. It’ll do for now.

My daisies have grown! They’ve just started blooming. They’re so tall! It took me by surprise. Such beautiful white flowers—large and tall. It’s another one of those joyful autumn moments. I hadn't really expected anything else to start blooming. There’s another little one, too: a cornflower has bloomed. It’s not tall and doesn't stand out much, but I spotted it. It has such a beautiful, cool color.

The air was quite cool, but not too cold. I slept really well—breathing in that fresh air. I really appreciated the meaning of the phrase "fresh air." It was a great sleep.