Introduction

Of all my herbal gardens, the tea bed is truly my favorite. The tea garden is a sensory delight, producing colors, scents, and flavors to enjoy throughout the season. Best of all, these scents and flavors can be stored away at summer’s end for use in the cold winter days. The wonderful tastes and aromas of the herbal teas bring back memories of summer days spent in the garden.

The tea garden is also a place of beauty, beginning with a border of blue catmint flowers in early spring, followed by white chamomile blossoms and then purple mints and red pineapple sage. Hummingbirds and butterflies frequent the tea garden to enjoy the sweet nectars, adding to the delight!

Finally, the tea garden will provide the herbal ingredients for wonderful homegrown gifts for the holidays, housewarmings — or anytime. By drying the tea herbs and then blending them and packaging them in unique ways, you can share the bounty of your garden with appreciative friends and family.

So growing your own herbal teas can be just as therapeutic as drinking them. The plants are easy to grow. (Too easy, in the case of mints!) You don’t need a large area. They can even be container grown. Best of all, you know your teas are pesticide-free and you aren’t paying for a lot of fancy packaging.

In this bulletin we will explore the joys of growing and using herbal teas, examine some individual plants, learn how to harvest and blend the ingredients, and then learn how to package blends. Most of all, we will learn to brew a delicious cup of tea!

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