The dill decided it was time to go and spent a week drooping and yellowing until I ripped it all out. The cilantro doesn't seem to much like the summer heat, but it just kind of sits there not growing. The basil has toughened, and its leaves have turned as shiny and impermeable as a rain poncho.

And the mint?

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The mint has swallowed a corner of the garden, breached the wall and sent tendrils into the yard. I fully expected it would climb up the sides of our house one night and claim a house pet.

So I began using mint as often as I could. At first it brought some charm to the table, and the kids kind of perked up when they detected its sweet, cooling flavor in the salsas and tabbouleh I served them.

But it didn't take long until they began to eye their food suspiciously and ask if there was any mint in it.

And still the mint kept growing ...

One day I took out a machete (OK, a pair of garden shears) and trimmed the mint bush back to a reasonable shape. I took the trimmings and wrapped them with a length of twine and hung them in the kitchen to dry. My wife said the smell was more noxious than the dish of cat food on the counter below it (Fancy Feast, chicken hearts in gravy) and demanded I put it out of nose range.

After a couple of days I could pull the brittle dried leaves from their branches and fill a quart container.

"What are you going to do with all that?" asked one of my daughters. "Feed it to the cat?"

She leaned over and stuck her nose in the container.

"You know, this smells just like mint tea," she said, adding, "What is mint tea, anyway?"

I thought about it for a second. "I suppose it's just dried mint, water and sugar," I said.

"Well ... "

Garden-clearing Mint Tea
4-5 servings

Hands on: 1 minute
Total time: 10 minutes

This tea makes a lovely herbal digestive after dinner. Simply hang the fresh mint until the leaves are brittle and crackle to the touch, about three to four days.

3 tablespoons sugar or honey (we prefer honey)
1/3 cup dried mint leaves

Place the sugar or honey in a quart teapot. Fill with boiling water and stir to dissolve. Add the mint leaves and let steep for 2 minutes. You can reuse the leaves once.

Per serving (based on 4): 54 calories (percent of calories from fat, 2), trace protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, trace fat (no saturated), no cholesterol, 8 milligrams sodium.