Tea Garden

[vfem]

Its been decided... I want to put in a raised bed just for herbs used in teas. I need a list!

What suggestions do you have based on your favorite flavor combos?

 

[jojo54]

I grow chocolate mint for tea. Be careful not to let it take over - keep it contained. I like it dried not fresh and have given a bunch away to 2 SILs and a neice. It got scruffy this summer so I cut it right back and now I have lots to dry again.

 

[hoodat]

I have two favorites. I love tea made with lemon grass leaves and also with tagetes lutea, variously called Mexican Mint or Texas tarragon. It has a very delicate fruity flavor. Unfortunately it loses almost all of the flavor when dried. It has to be used fresh.

 

[journey11]

And chamomile, of course! And getcha an old fashioned rose bush that makes nice big rose hips. They make a wonderful, sweet/slightly tart addition to any tea and are also packed with way more Vitamin C than most fruits. If you're going for medicinal teas, nettle and alfalfa are a couple I've used for tea. Lemon balm, any of the mints (I GOTTA have good ol' peppermint). Still thinking.....

 

[digitS']

And chamomile, of course! And getcha an old fashioned rose bush that makes nice big rose hips. .....

Oh, that sounds good! The 2 together, chamomile and rose hips . . . However, growing chamomile hasn't worked too well for me - real low production, crawlin'-around-on-the-ground-with-tweezers harvest.

Okay, my favorite herb tea is a combo, lemon verbena and anise hyssop.

I find both easy to grow, too ! I do have to provide quite a bit of winter protection for the verbena but a single plant makes a significant amount of foliage for tea.

Steve

 

[jojo54]

And chamomile, of course! And getcha an old fashioned rose bush that makes nice big rose hips. They make a wonderful, sweet/slightly tart addition to any tea and are also packed with way more Vitamin C than most fruits. If you're going for medicinal teas, nettle and alfalfa are a couple I've used for tea. Lemon balm, any of the mints (I GOTTA have good ol' peppermint). Still thinking.....

How do you use the rose hips in tea? I heard they need to freeze first - is that correct? Then do you dry them, freeze them, boil them, . . ?

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

bergamot, catnip and mint. They are very good dried.

 

[beavis]

And do not forget Camellia sinensis, the true tea.

I would add Lemon Verbena, hibiscus, passionflower, chamomille, lemon balm, mints, and other medicinal herbs.

 

[hoodat]

For sure keep some echinacea on hand. Use it as a tea at the very first sign of a cold or if you think you have been exposed to one. Many times you can nip it in the bud so the cold never catches hold. It works by kicking your immune system into high gear. It works just as well dried as it does fresh.

 

[vfem]

For sure keep some echinacea on hand. Use it as a tea at the very first sign of a cold or if you think you have been exposed to one. Many times you can nip it in the bud so the cold never catches hold. It works by kicking your immune system into high gear. It works just as well dried as it does fresh.

I do have this all over my yard actually! Its literally just popping up whereever it likes and I'm cool with it!

Beavis, do you think Camellia sinensis will grow here?

I do love everyone's suggestions. I do have mint, and it is separated in a pot for now. I will probably get a few different mints in the spring to put in a pot as well. Chamomile should do well here, so I definitely am putting that on my list as well!

We're digging up where a tree used to be in our front yard... putting in some timbers to try to level the area with the lawn (slight hill there) and then fill with some good soil. We'll cover in straw and plant there in the spring.