Finding Your Pre-Holiday Zen with Bonsai Mint

I love the hustle and bustle of the November and December holidays. Honestly, I know that some of that bustling activity is artificial; a lot is self-imposed. 

Does Great Aunt Nell’s 1920s fruitcake recipe really have to be mixed up in the earliest days of fall? Would there be tears if the cake did not get unwrapped and served come December? Does a pumpkin pie really need to take its place next to a squash pie on the Thanksgiving buffet table? Would the family fare just as well with an either/or approach to pies? I know the answers to these and other questions, but hey, I find all of this prep work fun. These preparations let me know that celebrations are ahead.

Whether you revel in the preparations or dread them, a little “Zen” during the hustle bustle is always in order. For me, Zen can be achieved by pondering something from nature that draws my mind to peaceful scenes that sit firmly in my subconscious. And Plectranthus ernstii, or Bonsai Mint, is the perfect option at a time when the greatest benefit will come from the peace and calm of tending to something that needs little tending. Save the heavy lifting for the pre-holiday cleaning and baking. Bonsai Mint will care for itself, and the sight of it is sure to do you some good before the flurry of activity gets under way.

Plectranthus ernstii is a fairly small plant that forms a caudex, which is a desirable and bulging “trunk” that puts me in mind of those that support the most enchanting tropical trees. Other bonsais rely heavily on the human touch. But Bonsai Mint does a great deal of its own work to achieve the looks of a gorgeous tree. It starts out a step ahead of the game, for sure. Still, the extra help of regularly scheduled and thoughtful pruning will highlight the caudex as it fattens over time and will ensure that the canopy is well kept, resulting in an even more impressive tree form.

The Plectranthus ernstii Bonsai Mint version of a “tree” is one with a lush green canopy. The green of the leaves of Plectranthus ernstii is very much like the green of spearmint or apple mint. And Bonsai Mint is fragrant, not with a minty scent but with a fresh perfume (some call it spicy; others, citrusy) that joins the plant’s visuals to take my mind off what I need to do next and turn the focus to peace, calm, and beauty.

The caudex, or trunk, of Plectranthus ernstii develops into similarly bulged branches in nice gray tones which turn brownish and more bark-like over time. The caudex will feel firm to the touch at all times that Plectranthus ernstii is feeling strong and healthy. If the caudex gets a little spongy, it is likely that watering is in order. But Bonsai Mint will not want to sit in water at any point, so be sure the plant’s soil drains exceptionally well. Given a good planting medium of humus plus some granular matter, Plectranthus ernstii will not need much in the way of fertilizer. The nutrients in the humus and good streams of sunlight through a window do the trick for this plant, which is sure to flower in pale lavender spikes at some points in time, adding to what it offers to gardeners like you and me.

In addition to finding your Zen with Plectranthus ernstii, Bonsai Mint, you may indeed want to gift it to others. The art of bonsai tending, or tending to plant specimens in a way that keeps them small and tree-like, is ancient. Bonsais can look like beautiful wind-bent trees or perfectly upright specimens with shade-creating canopies. Those who tend bonsais find them beautiful. Those who receive them as gifts are said to be even more fortunate. Consider giving a bonsai, and perhaps you will receive one in return.

So mix up your batters; roll out your crusts; and clean the house. Holidays will soon be upon us. But before you do any of this, find yourself a bonsai… perhaps Bonsai Mint… look at its “trunk”, branches, and healthy greenery… and breathe.