My husband will be the first to tell you, I fall bass-ackwards into all sorts of good things. I like to tell him, “I must be living right,” then we both have a good laugh, shrug our shoulders and enjoy whatever my good luck has brought our way.

Last spring, while choosing a few inexpensive annuals to add some color to our backyard, I picked up an orange mint plant, simply because it smelled good. “How nice,” I thought to myself, “to smell something other than dog droppings when I’m in the backyard.” I had no idea how hearty this plant was (I ignored it 90% of the summer) or that it could take over a garden single-handedly, if it’s not contained (I potted it out of laziness, because the soil in our backyard is horrible). And not only will it come back year after year, I can actually make something of it!

Last week, I harvested the last of the healthy leaves, washed and set them aside to use in glasses of ice water. Then I cut it back, before it goes dormant for the winter, gathered the trimmings into small bundles, tied with twine, and hung them in our kitchen to dry. Small jars of dried orange mint will make nice gifts for our neighbors this Christmas.

Gee, what else could I be harvesting and making something of if I actually knew what I was doing in our backyard?

The floor is now open for suggestions.