You’ve been weeding and deadheading flowers for what seems like hours. And now it’s time for a break. It’s 95 degrees in the shade. You could go inside to relax or you can pull up a chair and enjoy the heat of your garden. This is a perfect time to enjoy the bees, butterflies and swooping dragonflies circling your yard.

The robin is cooling off in the birdbath. Your dogs are enjoying the moist grass under the shade of your trees. Cool yourself off with a refreshing drink that is simple to make and tastes great. Bonus points if you can use something from your garden to flavor or style your drink. Here are 5 ideas for simply refreshing drinks to get you started.

5 Refreshing Drinks to Enjoy on Your Patio…

Iced Tea

You absolutely can’t go wrong with this classic beverage. There are as many ways to make tea as there are brands. If you’re from the South, you drink Sweet Tea. But everywhere else in the US, you might steep it plain and then add some version of sweetener. The beauty of plain iced tea is that you can doctor it however you want.

To make a pitcher of iced tea, start with a large glass measuring cup or pan filled with water. Heat your water to just boiling. You don’t want the water to boil. The simplest technique is to microwave the water for 2-3 minutes. Now add 3-4 tea bags and let it steep for 20-30 minutes. Fill a pitcher with cold water and pour your steeped tea into the container. Give it a stir and it’s ready to serve.

Pour your tea into a large glass with ice. Add in your choice of sweetener then finish it off with lemon slices, a fresh mint sprig or even some raspberries from your garden.

Lime Sparkle

This easy-to-make drink uses fresh limes and club soda or sparkling water. The nice thing about club soda is that it gives you the bubbles of soda without that sickly sweet taste that you get from pop. Fill your glass with ice and pour club soda over the ice. Now squeeze in the juice of 1-2 fresh limes. Add in your choice of sweetener and a slice or two of lime and give it a stir.

Iced Coffee

Long before you could buy a cold iced coffee at Starbucks, I was making iced coffee. Iced coffee is so easy and you don’t need a fancy machine. Start with some strong brewed coffee (regular or decaf) that has cooled to room temperature. Pour it over your glass of ice. Now stir in some milk. You can use any milk variety including skim, 1%, 2%, whole milk or half-n-half. If you avoid cow’s milk, you can use soy milk, almond milk or even rice milk.

I would recommend the pour and taste method…pour a small amount of milk into your coffee, stir and taste. If it’s too strong, add a little more milk. In general, you might want to start with 3 parts coffee to 1 part milk. Once you get your coffee strength correct then add your sweetener. For a fancy drink you can use flavored syrups and a dollop of whipped cream. Or keep it simple with a dash of vanilla extract and a spoonful of sweetener.

Flavored Water

This is such a great way to encourage yourself to drink more water. Make a large pitcher and keep it in your refrigerator for frequent water fill-ups. Start with fresh water and then add your choice of fruits, vegetables and herbs to enhance the flavor of the water. Let the flavors infuse for 4-6 hours or more.

Here are a few options to try:

• Mixed berries with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries or whatever berry you have available.
• Cucumber slices and mint sprigs is a classic combination.
• Citrus blend with lemons, limes and oranges. This one shouldn’t sit for too long or it can start to taste bitter.
• Basil and strawberry.
• Melon balls and mint.
• Peaches and cilantro

Get creative and come up with your own infused combinations. Play around with your favorite fruits, vegetables, and herbs to see what you enjoy most.

Classic Lemonade

Last in this list but not least, is a glass of classic lemonade. You can make it by the glass or by the pitcher. Start by dissolving the sugar in cool water. Then add in the fresh squeezed lemon juice. Here are the proportions for making a pitcher…1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, 6 1/2 cups water. If you don’t have fresh lemons to squeeze, you can also use bottled lemon juice for a quick pitcher. If you don’t want as much sugar, substitute part or all of the sugar with a sugar alternative.

A word about sugar:

All of these recipes, with the exception of the flavored water, might need a sweetener. You can use regular sugar, honey, agave or a non-nutritive sweetener such as Stevia or Splenda. Since most of us are consuming far more sugar than we need, I encourage you to use the least possible amount of sugar. Start at the low end with a teaspoon rather than just dumping in a large amount. Then add more as needed. As you get used to the lower sugar content, it won’t take as much to provide the sweet taste you want. The plus side of adding in the fruit is that it can provide a sweet taste without needing as much added sugar.

Consider your presentation:

Make the most of your outdoor beverages by choosing lovely serving ware. Why do we need to sip our lemonade or iced tea from a plastic kids cup. Treat yourself to a beautiful container for your beverages. Here are a few ideas.

• Mason jars make a great beverage container and the caps help prevent spills. Or get a cap with a straw hole in the top for easy sipping.
• Tall clear glasses will showcase those beautiful fruits like lemon slices.
• Use a vintage set of serving glasses such as grape-patterned milk glass or cocktail glasses.
• Treat yourself to seasonal disposable glasses.
• Keep your beverages cold with a vintage or new decorated thermos.
• Serve your refreshing drinks on a cute serving tray.

When you’re finished in the garden and it’s time to relax, choose one of these flavorful and fun beverages. They are sure to help you get re-hydrated and to cool off while you dodge those dragonflies.