What to plant when your thirsty

We work hard on our gardens.  We plan out what vegetables and fruits we want to grow.  Then we buy the seeds, prepare the soil, and plot out what is going where. There's a lot of preparation, but after all of this work, we reap the benefits of delicious food to eat.  smacks lips.

All those delicious meals...but what's to drink?  Did you plant it?

This is not a crazy idea.  And why shouldn't we do it?!?  If we grow it, we can have a variety of slurpy goodness just sitting in our cupboards.

You might be thinking about the obvious.  Fruit trees.  While this is a good choice, it's not convenient for everyone.  Many fruit trees need several years before they start to yield, and most of them thrive planted in the ground instead of pots.  If you do have the space in your lawn and the willingness to wait a couple of years, then this might be an excellent idea for you.

For those who want more immediate results, there are so many options.  Mint is a wonderful choice.  Not only is it great in so many dishes, it makes a year round drink.  You can use the leaves freshly cut from the plant, or dried out.  It makes a refreshing drink over ice, or even a hot tea. My only suggestion with mint, is to grow it in a pot.  Mint can be an invasive, so having it in a pot will control the spread.

Think about what you like to drink.  Is it lemon?  You can grow lemon balm, or lemon grass.  Do you like something a little spicy?  Try growing ginger.  There are several varieties that are edible.  Ginger root is very easy to grow.  I grow a variety called shell ginger.  The leaves of the shell ginger makes a light ginger flavored tea.

Would you like something to drink before bed?  Turmeric is easy to grow.  You can make a tea preparation with turmeric root, honey and warm milk.  Then you will sleep like a baby. For something a little lighter, grow some chamomile. The bees will also thank you for having those sweet little flowers to pollinate.

Do you like a freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning?  Chicory can be grown, harvested and then roasted in your oven.  Then grind it up and treat it like ground coffee.

Before your finished, don't forget your sweetener.  Stevia can be started from seed and planted in your garden.  It is a no-sugar substitute for your drinks.  Each leaf tastes like pure sugar. 

So many ideas to plant, and so many cups to drink!