Growing Herbs for Tea

Drinking herbal tea is an exceptionally guilt-free pleasure for me because it has no caffeine, no tannin, no calories; it tastes delicious and is pretty inexpensive. If drinking tea does not come natural to you, you can quickly begin a daily routine of tea drinking by adding it your breakfast or early morning snack.

Some people have been using herbs to cure illnesses for centuries. Some herbal teas will give you a little extra pep while others can help you relax a little. One plant can ease an uneasy stomach while still other herbs can ease your mind.

Whether it’s summer iced tea or hot tea, by growing a few beds of of your your fave tea herbs, you’ll have enough delicious tea to make it either way.

Aromatic herbal teas are uncomplicated to make directly from your herb garden. Pluck off a few leaves from your favorite tea herb like chamomile, peppermint, spearmint or fennel and you are all set.

When you get ready to brew your tea, use a generous teaspoon of dried herbs for each cup of tea. If you’re brewing a whole pot put one teaspoon of herbs for each cup. But add a bonus teaspoon just to ensure you have got it right.

If you’re making your tea with fresh tea herbs, you will need to use 2 to 3 teaspoons for each cup of tea because the fresh herbs are not as potent as the dried herbs.

Although you can brew your teas using any one of the many delicious tea herbs, it’s also nice to mix it up with a custom blend. Use lemon verbena or calendula with your chamomile for an extra tart flavor.

You can use all of these herb plants in your teas:

• Beebalm: Want a pop of citrus in your herbal tea? Beebalm will do the trick. Beebalm has a light hint of orange, even though it is part of the mint family. This plant, which was first brewed by Native Americans in Canada, is also called Oswego tea and is believed to help with an upset stomach, soothe a cough and sore throat, ease menstrual cramps and relieve flatulence and nausea.

• Hibiscus: There are so many kinds of hibiscus to choose from when you plan your garden. If you’re planning your herb garden for tea, I suggest the rose mallow kind because it has a slight hint of oranges and lemon. The marsh mallow (where the name, not the product marshmallow comes from) type of hibiscus is known to ease sore throats and heal stomach ulcers—just gather the petals and make your tea!

• Lemon Verbena: If you enjoy lemon like I love lemon, then you’ll love lemon verbena, which has the fragrance and taste of lemon whether you use fresh or dried in your hot or iced tea. This is an especially good herb to add to your green tea, which make it more palatable.

• Rosehip: Drinking an herbal tea that contains rosehips is an excellent way to get your vitamin C. It has more than a typical vitamin. The high vitamin C content is most likely the reason why they tend to help with cold and flu prevention.

You will likely also enjoy any of the mints, lemon balm, or lemongrass in your next cup of tea.

Did I note that you can put your dried tea herbs into a pretty, little container and give it as a gift? Who would not love to get a gift like that? And even nicer, it is easy on your budget!

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Tea Herb Gardening. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.

Tagged with: gardening • growing tea herbs • herbs • Tea • tea herb gardening • tea herbs

Filed under: gardening

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