Plant herbs now to can make delicious homegrown tea with later!

’Tis the season to get gardening. Yet if you don’t have a green thumb—or the time to tend a produce patch—start with some simple herbs, which you can use when cooking or brewing a tasty herbal tea, says Cassie Liversidge, author of Homegrown Tea. “You can grow most plants that can be brewed to make hot or iced tea in an existing garden or in pots in a sunny window,” she says. Start with easy-to-cultivate mint and lemon verbena.

To prepare your own brew, cut and wash the plant leaves, and then drop a handful of whole leaves (no need to chop or crush) into a teapot. Pour boiling water over the leaves, steep for 3 to 5 minutes, and then strain and pour into mugs or over ice.