Something The River Mint Keeps Asking For:

A Spring Native Green Juice - Mentha australis, Prostanthera incisa, and the return to the garden

Mentha australis - photo by Isis

The River Mint was the first to say Spring was coming. I hadn't thought of it as a seasonal marker before, but this year it was unmistakable. Mentha australis, low growing, spreading quietly across the damp edge of the nursery, had put out a flush of new growth weeks before anything else moved. Soft and bright and insistent, yet accommodating to all who meandered through it.

And the scent when I crouched down beside it: clean, green, a little cooler than peppermint, with something underneath that I can only describe as water. As though the plant is still carrying the creek it came from, it is forever connected no matter where it grows. Mentha australis is one of Australia's few native mints, a riparian species, which means it comes from the edges of waterways. It spreads by runners, which makes it generous in th egarden once it settles, providing shelter and food for all.

The flavour is distinctly its own: cool and minty, yes, but lighter than the European cultivars, less aggressive with subtle freshness that sits closer to water than to toothpaste. Beside it in the nursery, Prostanthera incisa, the Cut Leaf Mint Bush has been holding its character through winter and into this new warmth. Touch a leaf and you understand immediately why it belongs in the Lamiaceae family.

Lamiaceae Botanical Chart

But Prostanthera is not a mint, it is its own conversation. The flavour is mintier, more herbal, with an edge of something resinous and particular to the bush. A small amount does everything you need. What struck me, developing this juice, was how differently each plant holds its flavour. The River Mint dissolves into a drink and becomes part of the whole. The Cut-leaf Mint Bush insists on being noticed. Together they do not compete, they layer.

Here is a delicious recipe to experiment with - create to your own tastebuds so they dance in delight:

Spring Native Green Juice - To Delight Your Taste buds

Spring Native Green Juice

Pineapple • Granny Smith • Cucumber • Native Mint

Ingredients — 2 generous glasses

• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored

• 2 cups fresh pineapple, roughly chopped

• ½ large cucumber

• 6–8 fresh Mentha australis(River Mint) leaves

• 2–4 young Prostanthera incisaleaves

• ½ lime, peeled

• Small handful of baby spinach — optional

• ½ cup chilled coconut water or cold water

• Ice, to serve

• 
  

Method: Blend rather than juice. Add everything to a high-speed blender and blend until beautifully smooth. Add a little more coconut water if needed. For a more traditional juice consistency, strain through a nut-milk bag or fine sieve.

The flavour The pineapple brings the tropical sweetness, while the Granny Smith apple gives it that gorgeous crisp acidity. Cucumber keeps it fresh and light, lime lifts everything, and the two native mints give it a distinctive Australian herbal note.

Native Citrus Cooler Drink

Ways to Change the Season

Spring Green — River Mint + Cut-leaf Mint + pineapple + apple + cucumber

Tip: You can add coconut water to taste for that extra boost of hydration.

The River Mint is still putting out new growth. The Prostanthera incisa is holding steady, waiting for its flowers to come. The season is still early.

There is always more time to pay attention than we think.

Happy Creating With Nature🍃