by SHAYLYNN MARKS
If you’ve ever wondered how to turn your garden into a source of health and refreshment, the upcoming “Making Tea From Your Garden” class at the Sebring Civic Center in Sebring may be just your cup of tea.
Hosted by the Highlands County Master Gardener Volunteers and UF/IFAS, the class will be held Saturday, June 21, and will introduce participants to the joys and benefits of herbal infusions.
“I’ve always loved plants,” said Robert Maulella, a certified Master Gardener with a degree in Biology. “Growing up in New York City, we always lived in apartments, and my mom would find a sunny windowsill and she would put a plant there. That was the beginning of my love for plants and flowers.”
Maulella, who taught science for six years and has led gardening classes for many more, will co-teach the class with Sandra Foster.
“We both are tea drinkers as opposed to coffee drinkers,” he said. “Both of us like to experiment with different flavors and different infusions.”
Participants can expect a demonstration-focused class with samplings included.
“It’s more so like a demonstration, but we will have samples,” Maulella says. “Last year we had a cucumber infusion where we just infused water with cucumber, and I know we’ll be doing some other kind of infusions this time — maybe with citrus or something that we can find that’s in season.”
The class, which is ideal for beginners and intermediate gardeners, will walk attendees through the basics.
“We’ll teach about different ways to make tea — taking different parts of the plant, either the fruit or the vegetable or the leaf — and how you would process that,” Maulella says. “In the case of the leaves, you would dry the leaves. Sometimes the leaves need to be boiled. There are certain leaves that need to be boiled longer than others. We’ll talk about the cautions. You can’t just take any leaf off a tree. You’ve got to be careful.”
Beyond preparation techniques, attendees will learn about potential benefits of different herbs.
“We’ll also be teaching what different teas might do for the body,” he says. “There are teas that boost the immune system, that help the body deal with stress, balance blood pressure, and blood sugar.”
Maulella emphasizes the benefits of homegrown ingredients.
“If you grow it yourself, you control the environment, including the soil, pesticides, herbicides,” he says. “The fresher, really, the better — the more nutrient-packed and the cleaner it would be for your body.”
This year’s class follows a popular session held last summer.
“Last year I taught a class on teas with Sandra Foster, and it was so popular people said, ‘Would you do that again?’ So, we’re going to team-teach again this year,” Maulella says.
In addition to samples, take-home packages will be available.
“We are planning on making some little packages that they could take home with them for a small fee, and that will benefit the Master Gardeners of Highlands County,” he says.
Maulella encourages even those who are unsure of their gardening skills to attend.
“Just come and sample,” he says. “You don’t have to grow it yourself. You can find organic sources for these different teas.”
For Maulella, the class is about more than just tea.
“Experimenting with teas is really a fun thing to do,” he says. “Anyone can do it. It’s relatively inexpensive.”
As an enthusiast, his favorite summer blend involves using the fruit from his own yard.
“For summer, my favorite tea is a mango tea,” Maulella says. “A black tea or it could be a chai tea as the base. Chai is a very good base tea, and then you can add different flavorings.”
Making Tea From Your Garden
Date: Saturday, June 21
Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Where: Jack Stroup Civic Center
Address: 355 W. Center Ave., Sebring, FL 33870
Price: $15
Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/ybp5r6jf