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FrontRangeLiving.com -> Cooking -> Herbal Tea Garden
GROWING AN HERBAL TEA GARDEN
 Make sure that these herbs have been grown as food rather than decorative
plants, so that there's no pesticides or poisonous fertilizers. Here's a roster
of commonly gown herbs for teas:
Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis), Shakespeare’s character, Falstaff,
describes the tough characteristics of this old English herb when he proclaims:
"The more it is trodden on, the faster it grows, yet youth the more it is
wasted, the sooner it wears." Chamomile produces an aroma when walked on
that is something like apples. Thought to be a moderate sedative, it’s a hardy
perennial that reaches from 3 to 12 inches and grows best in moist, well-drained
soil. Plant it in sun or partial shade. Seeds or root division will succeed, but
seeds are slow to germinate. If you choose plants, place each six inches apart
because it’s a creeping herb and the roots will spread. Chamomile is often
used as a ground cover, although in a hot, dry summer, the center will die out.
The flowers are used for tea: add one tablespoon of fresh flowers or 2 teaspoons
of dried flowers to 1 cup of boiling water. Let steep for ½ hour or to taste.
Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia), is a perennial that needs gravelly
drainage. It grows from 1 to 3 feet in dry, well-drained, chalky soil; avoid
fertilizers and plant in full sun. You may plant seeds or cuttings. The flowers
are used for the tea and give a pungent, hot flavor: one teaspoon of dried
flowers or 3 teaspoons of fresh flowers to 1 cup of boiling water. Steep to
taste.
Lemon Verbena, (Aloysia triphylla), an annual, grows best in light
well-drained soil. Plant cuttings in full sun. The leaves are used for tea,
especially when the plant is blooming. They provide a lemony taste and often are
added as a flavoring to the regular tea, Thea sinensis. Place one
teaspoon of dried verbena leaves or 3 teaspoons of fresh into a covered cup of
boiling water. Steep for 15 minutes. Strain, flavor with honey.
Mints: (Mentha species), include a variety of mints, including
spearmint, peppermint, orange mint, apple mint, pineapple mint. All are
perennials, which spread from 18 inches to 4 feet. They grow best in moist, rich
soil, but will adapt to much less. Try partial shade. Most can be invasive with
spreading roots. The leaves are used for tea: Try one teaspoon of dried leaves
or 3 teaspoons of fresh leaves; steep to taste. Mints often are added to other
teas.
Rose (Rosea species), teas are made from both the petals and the hips.
The hips usually are harvested from species roses, those hardy shrubs that are
linked to original roses before they were hybridized. Most are perennial. Plant
in well-drained soil: full sun. For tea, use one teaspoon of dried or two
teaspoons of fresh petals for each cup of boiling water. Steep to taste. Grind
dried hips into powder. Steep to taste add honey. Rose tea is good hot or cold.
Although the following are culinary herbs, they may also be used as teas.
Rosemary (Rosmariunus officinalis), is a tender perennial, a short shrub
that needs well-drained soil, full sun or partial shade. It’s much quicker to
grow cuttings because seeds take too long. Both leaves and flowers are used for
tea. Rosemary has a piney, evergreen smell and taste: One teaspoon of dried
flowers or leaves, or 3 teaspoons of fresh leaves to each cup of boiling water.
Steep to taste. Thyme, (Thymus vulgaris)or Sage, (Salvia officinalis)
: both perennial, tough plants that need full sun. The leaves are used for tea,
both are pungent and it’s best to grow from plants rather than seeds. All are
good with lemon or honey.
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