Growing a Tea Garden

Gardens of all sizes can produce a soothing cup of tea. It's even possible that the plants you are already growing can be brewed. Here are a few things to consider when starting a tea garden.

Picture taken by Drew Jemmet, Unsplash.

1. Pick a location that gets plenty of light. Bonus points if it's near your kitchen for easy access.

2. Select the plants! There are so many options. Below is a small list of popular plants grown for tea. Keep in mind, sometimes you harvest the foliage and sometimes you harvest the flowers.

• Anise Hyssop

• Fever Few

• Peppermint

• Fennel

• Chamomile

• Holy basil

• Chamomile

• Bee Calm

• Rosemary

• Echinacea

• Calendula

• Mint

• Lemon Verbena

• Lemon Balm

• Thyme

• Rose

• Lavender

• Echinacea

• Cuban Oregano

• African Blue Basil

• Comfry

• Yarrow

• Sage

• Marjoram

• Cilantro

• Viola Tricolor

• Scented Geranium

• Stevia

• Saffron - Crocus Sativus

3. Plan your space! New time gardeners with balcony space? Here are some fun themed containers for gardeners with small spaces.

For larger spaces, consider perennial plants that will fill your garden every year.

These include Rosemary, Sage, Elderberry, Rose petals/ Rose-hips, Echinacea, and Fever Few.

4. Make a harvest plan! Harvest early in the morning before the heat of the day.

Decide if you want to make your brew with fresh or dried herbs.

For fresh materials, boil a tablespoons worth for each cup.

For dried material use about a teaspoons worth for each cup.

5. For drying, store bundles of herbs upside down in a well ventilated area. Check every couple of days to ensure drying is going well, keep an eye out for mold. After two weeks store your herbs in an airtight jar, perfect for a cold winter days.