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Growing your own tea

You don't have to have a green thumb to grow your own tea; you just need the right instructions and patience. Look at the ingredients on commercial herbal tea labels and you'll find plants like lemon grass, spearmint, peppermint, rose hips and hibiscus, all of which can be assembled in the garden or even in an indoor potting arrangement. Along with being a wellspring of continuing product that invites itself to being plucked regularly, a tea garden also attracts butterflies and bees.

Some of the more popular tea plants to grow include bee balm, lemon grass, mint, chamomile and rose hips. To make your tea, use one tablespoon fresh leaves or flowers (as appropriate, depending on the species). If the plant material is dried, use one teaspoon. Add the herb — or a blend of herbs — to a tea ball or a steeping cup that's resting in a mug. If desired, you can include some clippings of stevia, a natural sweetener, with the tea herbs. Pour hot — but not boiling — water in the mug and let steep for five minutes or less. Add honey, lemon or sugar as desired. If you're not used to drinking fresh herbal teas, start slowly. Make sure you know the identity of the plant you're using to make tea, and be watchful for adverse reactions. Finally, don't use any leaves or flowers that have been treated with pesticides.

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