The Tea Corner

Now that the Holiday rush is over it’s time to sit back in your comfortable chair and think about what your goals are for the new year while sipping on a cup of your favorite loose tea.

Relax with a cup of tea!

A tea garden is not only practical, but alot of fun to design.  And what better way to enjoy a cup of tea..right out of your own garden!

Blooming Tea Garden

You can design your tea garden right in the ground or be creative and use old teacups and saucers for bird baths, feeders or grew plants in them.  Here is a list of easy-to grow herbs that are fragrant and make wonderful teas:

• Chamomile - (a delightful apple scented herb traditionally used to induce calm and sleep)  Small daisy-like flowers.  It tolerates full sun to semi-shade.
• Bergamot – (Adds a touch of orange flavor.  The plant produces gorgeous bright red, purple, or pink flowers and is happy in full sun or semi-shade. The leaves and flowers are suitable for steeping.
• Mints - (lemon or lime balm, peppermint)
• Scented Geraniums
• Lavender – (a softly fragrant tisane that is perfect for soothing.  Recommended for reducing tension and soothing headaches).  Lavender grows well in full sun, well-drained soil.  Lavender buds are the part of the plant used for tea.
• Lemon Verbena – (a refreshing and tangy lemony taste from the leaves.  It needs full sun and will not tolerate harsh winters, so you may want to keep it pot bound.  The leaves are used for tea.
• Marjoram – (this herb has a fruity, citrus flavor and an undertone of mint.  It grows well in full sun to semi-shade and the leaves and flowers are suitable for steeping)
• Rose Hips – (Rose hips are the seed cases for roses.  They are extremely high in vitamin C and are very good for you.  The rose hips should be deep orange before harvesting.  Clean the rose hips gently before steeping.)
• Thyme – (considered to be a good tea for soothing stomach troubles and sore throats.  It has a spicy taste.  Tolerates full sun and semi-shade and is an ideal container herb.  Use the leaves for tea – if flowers are present, they may also be added to the tea.
• Stevia- (safe and natural herbal sweetener, used in place of sugar in an herbal infusion and safe for diabetics to use.  Stevia should be brought indoors during cold snaps and wintertime, so plant it in a pot in the garden.  The leaves are naturally sweet and their sweetness can be concentrated by drying or dehydrating them.

These are just a few of the many herbal varieties you may choose for your tea garden.

Here’s how to make fresh herbal tea:

1. Pick the leaves or flowers.  The best time of the day for this is just after the dew has dried but before the heat of the sun begins to draw the oils out of the plant.
2. Make the tea.  Add the herbs to a teapot or directly to a mug or teacup.   For each cup of tea, add approximately 2 to 3 teaspoons of fresh leaves and/or flowers. Slice rose hips in half before adding. The photo in this section shows direct infusion of chamomile flowers.
3. Allow to steep for 5 minutes.  This will ensure that the flavors are released and the full benefits of the herb’s or flower’s qualities are available