I think we have established how much I LOVE tea. If not, let’s just say, it is my faithful sidekick, so growing a garden that I can literally turn into tea seems like the logical next step.
Point being, I’m thinking about doing one this year.
All you need to grow an herbal tea garden is a sunny spot–and not a very big one at that. Most of the herbs you grow for tea are also pretty to look at, so if you don’t have a spot outdoors, try a sunny window sill inside.
If you are planting them outside, you can plant them in pots or straight into your garden beds {except for the mint–you will regret it if you don’t plant it in pots, it spreads and gets out of control fast}. I’m thinking I am going to keep mine in pots, herb garden style.
Here’s a list {not an exhaustive one, by any means} of herbs you can grow in your Herbal Tea Garden:
Lavender. Seriously, it adds a really nice flavor to tea and has a calming effect to boot.
Bergamot. It adds an orange flavor to your tea.
Mint. Make sure to keep this one in a container and not in your garden beds–they will spread like a weed.
Meanwhile, peppermint adds a minty flavor to your tea, and as an added bonus, mint can help to calm an upset stomach, so you can whip up some mint tea the next time you have a little indigestion.
Chamomile. Chamomile tea will help you sleep and smells amazing. It is the foundation of ANY tea garden, in my opinion.
Roses. So, not really an herb, but still awesome for tea. Not only are they beautiful, but the petals also make a really nice and refreshing tea. {Make sure you don’t spray your petals with nasty stuff if you plan to use them for tea.}
Plus, the bees love them, so you are pretty much doing your whole garden a favor.
Lemon Balm. This makes a fantastic tea. It has a nice lemon flavor {obviously} that is still pretty subtle. Like mint, it also helps settle an upset stomach and has relaxing properties like chamomile.
Lemon Thyme. You will be able to use this one for tea and cooking. It has a very fresh flavor, and it does alright in some shade, which makes it a little more versatile.
Rosemary. It has a very distinct flavor, which people either love or hate. It is also one that tolerates a little shade.
There are tons more options, but those are my personal favorites. To make tea from your plants, you can use them fresh or dry them in your dehydrator first {you can also dehydrate them in the sun outdoors, but it takes quite a bit longer}.
Store the dried herbs in an airtight container for tea all year long. You can even order tea bags, if you want to get fancy or give them as gifts.
What do you think, will you be giving it a try this year?
~Mavis
Diana near Atlanta says
Camellia sinensis is the shrub that black tea comes from and I’m fortunate to live in a zone where I can grow camellias. I had 4 plants that got big enough to harvest from, but too big for their spot. Moved them and they died. I’ve got 2 more small ones ready to plant and it looks like there is a sprig of one of the old ones that survived.
Fascinating process to making tea. All of the teas – green, black, white, pekoe, etc. – come from the same plant, just different harvest times, size of leaves and different processing methods.
Plus you get flowers in December!
I’ve always been chicken to try using different plants to make tea – except for spearmint. That I trust, lol. I think I’ll try some chamomile this year, tho.
Thanks for the prod, lol.
Laura says
Diana, black tea is my favorite. I really like Tetley British Blend, but I have been reading about pesticides on tea. So, I’m trying to drink organic tea. I won’t go into all of my other thoughts about why growing tea would be great for me. I hadn’t considered that I could grow a plant to make black tea! Thank you, Mavis and Diana! I was going to ask questions, Diana, about it, but I imagine I can find plenty of information online. Another rabbit hole for me to go down! I love to learn! Thanks!
Karen says
Lemon balm also spreads as much as mint!
Beth says
Yes it does! I had it in a pot on my deck and it spread to the surrounding flower beds and took over. I pulled it all out last fall and time will tell if it comes back…I hope not!
Lana says
Yes! I self sows and we have it everywhere now even 25 feet from where it started
Lynn Y says
That is because LEMON BALM is a member of the mint family. However, it is more controllable than its misbehaving cousins and well worth growing. I allow it to grow wherever it wishes I so love lemon balm tea. I also turn it into a pesto, adding a little white wine, and it makes the best pasta dish! Lemon balm is also a wonderful medicinal herb and so I also dehydrate it. As an extra benefit, my grandson loves the smell and he seeks it out to chew on it when he is over. Side note: The bees will be all over it once it blooms.
My lemon balm is already coming up and last night I had my first cup of lemon balm tea.
Jamie says
Most of those are so easy to grow and will come back year after year. Mint is very easy but is invasive so put it in a spot it can’t take over!
Mel says
We have a huge potscape herb garden
and grow chamomile, etc. (not for tea, just because). Based on the descriptions from the site where I buy our herbs, some other options commonly used in tea are stevia, lemon verbena, calendula, echinacea, catmint, lemongrass, and hyssop. While I don’t use these for tea, I have made lemongrass soda before.
Diana says
You should try making basil tea, it is so good! I also love lemongrass tea, and calendula tea. I love trying new recipes and mixing different herbs together for new flavors. I also always have a batch of kombucha brewing so I can have some different drinks during the day.
Margo says
We planted a row of rosemary along our fence line almost 30 years ago. I have SOOOOO much rosemary now. Planting chamomile and borage this year for medicine and tea. Replanted some thyme as well. I’m also planting holy basil and lemon basil for tea. Have not tried this before, but understand it makes a good iced tea. Also have mint which I dry every year for adding to teas. Didn’t really care for lemon balm as much as I thought I would so I took it out and don’t think I’ll grow it again.
Lana says
Borage is a delicious tea and easy to grow.
Gigi says
Does it need to be dried before use?
Bella says
In the Caraïbes,l we love all types of bush tea, a big one is hibiscus. Lots of different tree leaves and barks are used.
Vivian says
Mavis, I watched an episode on Britbox last night of “Shetland”. Season 7, episode 1 and 2. It was filmed on Fair Isle. I thought you might enjoy watching it and maybe seeing some of the scenery that you actually saw on your trip there. You can get it for free right now through Amazon Prime Video.
Diane says
Pop your fresh herbs (spearmint is my favorite) in a French press, pour in hot water and wait a few minutes before pressing the herbs to the bottom. Voila!