We had a huge May 11-12, 2011 snow storm. It buried the baby mint that was sprouting out of my perennial herb garden. I dug through the snow and harvested some unpackaged, delicious and nutritious mint for tonight's salad. 

The mint, alongside the lettuce and radish salad, tossed with bulk maple syrup, organic olive oil and sherry vinegar dressing tasted like spring. 

Up here, the soil is not that great. Even after a big rain, the soil dries out within a few days. The ecological beauty of spring snow is that it melts slowly seeping into the soil and nourishing the plant life, gradually. This gives the plants and seeds in the ground a better drink of water and a vigorous start to the growing season. 

This trick of nature makes perennial gardens in the mountains, and around the country,  so tantalizing. You don't have to do anything! The plants come up to feed you year after year, at just the right time each year - just when the conditions are perfect. I appreciate starting seeds indoors at the end of winter and deciding when to plant and when to water. However, for sustainability purposes, nothing beats a perennial edible ecosystem garden. No packaging. No transport. No water. Builds soil. Builds habitat. Highly nutritious. 

Mint is one exceptional perennial edible. It gets a bad wrap because it spreads and is quite vigorous, but I have never minded. Not only can you add it to salad and steep it for tea, you also have your very own fresh Mojito bar, right in your own backyard.