Tea Garden

[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.....

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, . . ?

Hmm, I hadn't heard about freezing them. I just cut them in half and dehydrate them. Add them to your dried tea mixes. They do their thing when you pour on the boiling water.

Chamomile and rose hips has got to be my favorite tea. I also put chopped oat straw in there, which adds extra "calming" power. I got this recipe from Rosemary Gladstar's book, Herbal Healing for Women. She has all kinds of medicinal tea recipes in there.

Now passionflower, I forgot about that! I have a vine that comes back every year. It sure likes to go to seed.

 

[digitS']

It is all a matter of personal taste, V. So, it's subjective.

Just looking at Journey's choices . . . . I can see those things I like. I've also dried and used rose hips. I might even appreciate the oat straw - certainly, I've chewed on enuf of them! One of my favorite herbal teas is mostly chamomile and spearmint.

Peppermint? No, not especially. Lemon balm, Heavens no!! Passionflower, nah.

And then you are faced with the limits of your soil and climate. I really wanted to taste Wild Bergamot flower tea. You may have it growing along your roadways . . . I kept the plants for 2 years, they wouldn't flower! The leaves tasted like some horrid cold remedy!

Steve