(All photos can be clicked on to view full size.)

A rather scary looking creature with wings is completely and totally in love with my flowering orange mint these days. It has everyone on edge and afraid to approach this pretty plant. I have not a clue what type of wasp he might be and a Google search has not led to many leads.  Perhaps he is a Potter Wasp? He is rather skittish and flies away quickly if anyone gets close (another reason he has everyone frightened).

In the picture below you can see a bumblebee to the left and the wasp to the right. Note how much larger he is in comparison to the bumblebee which is normally the largest winged insect visiting this garden.

I hope some readers out there might be able to help me in identifying this big orange wasp. He appears to be about 2 inches long (?!). Yikes. The curious thing about him is I am only finding him on my orange mint. He is visiting no other flower in the garden which I find rather interesting.

While out dousing my container grown plants one morning I spotted some garden visitors that had originally showed themselves last year.

Some readers may remember my puzzlement as to why so many Pacific tree frogs had taken up residence in my backyard garden. I never really figured that one out and pretty much chalked it up to the very wet spring we had that year.

Last week was the first time I have seen these little guys this year. I was actually pretty excited to spot them and gathered all my kids to show them off. We huddled on the deck staring at them before I ran and got the camera. They didn’t seem to like being photographed and hopped into the massive comfrey to hide.

They obviously like my choice of using old coffee cans as pots for some of the mints I grow because that is where I would find them hiding out every morning last week. I would water a coffee can of mint and up would hop a little tree frog and perch on the edge of the can. They would sit there and stare at me for a little while as though saying, “Excuse me, but do you mind not flooding us?!”

Seeing those cute little frogs every morning made going out to water over, and over, and over not quite so bad.

Sorry if I have disappeared from the blog world this past week. I did not count on the heat zapping my energy and desire to do anything. As Karen from Greenwalks put it, it was far too hot to blog last week. I hope to get back up with everyone’s blog (as well as my own!) sometime this week. Now, come on cooler weather! We’re waiting on you!

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)

I recently have found a new favorite way of using herbs fresh from the garden. Last year I wrote about making Herbal Sun Teas and how easy they are to make not to mention good to drink on a hot summer day. Several weeks ago I took that general idea a little step further and made it even simpler. I have been taking a sprig of mint (or lemon verbena), washing it off and then slightly bruising it by giving it a twist. I then place the bruised sprig in a class of fresh cold water. After sitting just a few minutes the water takes on a slight hint of the mint or herb being used. It is really very refreshing and oh so easy!

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla)

Herbs like mint and lemon verbena need consistent pinching back to prevent them from getting scraggly and overgrown. This is a great way to do just that. The other day I filled up my son’s water bottle and before giving it to him I placed two sprigs of peppermint in it. He later commented on how nice the peppermint was when he got hot from playing outside.

Orange Mint (Mentha x piperita x citrata)

So if you have mint (or any other herb for that matter) growing in your garden don’t forget to drop a sprig or two into your glass of water when you come inside to cool down from working in the garden. I’m sure you will agree that it is a simple yet refreshing way to enjoy some of your herbs never ending bounty.