i just love a soothing cup of herbal tea out inmy garden. particularly when i've grown some of the herbs myself. they're so easy togrow whether you grow them in containers or raised beds. there really useful tohave around and there's so many aromatic and flavorful varieties to choose from.for refreshing and uplifting flavor go with a mint like peppermint orspearmint. why not try mint with a twist like chocolate or sweet mint? anothergreat attribute about mint is that this plant is good for soothing an upsettummy. if you're looking for a citrus flavor, without growing your own fruittree, give lemon thyme or lemon verbena a try. both brighten and complement manyother flavors. for instance, check out my
pot of lemongrass. it makes quite adramatic statement in the middle of this herb garden, don't you think? you justtear off a leaf, bruise it, and what a lemony flavor. so refreshing. for calming,aromatic teas that help reduce stress and help us relax, you might want to givethe lavender or rosemary a try. and stevia works great as a naturalsweetener. now that we've gotten past the scratch and sniff part of the program andi've got your mouth watering for some of these delicious herbs, how about a few tipswill help you grow quite successfully your own herbal tea garden? first isuggest siting your tea garden close to your kitchen, either in containers, raisedbeds, or in the ground so you can harvest
your herbs while the water boils. alsohave a planting plan. you see, knowing what plants you want and the dimensionsof your space can save you a lot of time and resources at the garden center. ifyou're not sure exactly where to start, a great place to get ideas is bonnieplants.com. they have both container and raised bed designs which include plantsuggestions and planting tips. if you've ever grown mint, you know it can grow like ahouse afire and this plant is known for being a bit of a thug. so one of the waysto keep it from spreading and taking over your garden isto actually plant it in a container and then plant that container in your gardenbed. this will keep the roots contained and
of course your gonna clip around theedges and use all those leaves and stems in a beautiful delicious herbal tea. whenit comes time to brew your tea you can either use dried or fresh herbs,depending on the season or flavor preference. dried herbs will last longer and are a little more potent, while fresh herbs generate taste that is more vibrant and well fresh. ifyou prefer dried herbs, an easy way to do it yourself is just a bundle yourharvest on the stem with twine and hang it upside down to dry out of directsunlight. the amounts you use of each herb depend on how strong you wantyour tea. if using crushed dried herbs, start with a teaspoon per cup of hotwater. if you're using fresh herbs, triple
that amount. the real keys to brewing theperfect cup of tea is water temperature and infusion time. the general rule ofthumb on water temperature is the darker the color of the leaf of your herb thehotter the water. start with your temperature around 200 degrees and steepit for four to five minutes. depending on your herbs, you may need to adjust. justexperiment to find interesting and tasty combinations that suit your palette. youknow a wise man once said that there's something about the nature of tea thatleads us into a world of quiet contemplation about life. i think he mayhave something there. you know growing a few herbs is really easy. so plant some andenjoy the bounty they provide. for more
information about herbal tea gardenscheck out bonnieplants.com.