I love drinking herbal teas. If you consume a lot, like me, it may get to be a bit expensive. However, growing your own herbs is inexpensive and can be a lot of fun!
Here are some of the herbs you may wish to consider for a tea garden:
- Chamomile: Grows in sandy soil with lots of sun and water.
- Lemon Balm: Grows well in dry soil and partial shade. It will take over your garden if you don’t contain it.
- Lemon Verbena: It needs full sun to thrive and doesn’t do well in severe winters.
- Mint: It grows in moist soil in full to partial sun. Another one that will take over your garden if you don’t contain it.
- Lavender: Grows in full sun and in well-drained soil.
- Ginger: Grows best in filtered sunlight and moist soil in a spot that is less windy.
- Thyme: Grows well in full sun or partial sun.
Creating Your Herbal Blends
Trying different mixtures of herbs is fun. Start by making a small batch to experiment with different flavors. Don’t forget to write down your ingredients.
Way #1
Chose a base tea from tea you already have at home. Try black, green, white, oolong or Rooibos.
Decide on your favorite fresh or dried herbs.
- Lemon verbena
- Lemongrass
- Chamomile
- Anise hyssop
- Holy basil (tulsi)
- Apple mint
- Bee balm
- Lemon balm
- Pineapple sage
- Rose hips
- Spearmint
Try combining 1 teaspoon of base tea and 1 teaspoon of fresh herbs to 6 ounces of boiling hot water.
Way #2
Pick a primary herb. They make up 70 to 80 percent of your blend.
- Nettle
- Red Clover
- Oat Straw
- Raspberry Leaf
Add your supporting herbs. They make up 20 to 30 percent of your blend. You can use multiple herbs here.
- Lemon Balm
- Anise
- Hyssop
- Chamomile
- Fennel
- Elderberry
- Rosehips
- Hibiscus
- Lemon Verbena
- Lemongrass
- Mint
- Marshmallow Leaf
- Slippery Elm
- Sumac
- Violet
- Dandelion Leaf /Dandelion Root
- Burdock Root
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
Use a small amount of tertiary herbs, 5 to 10 percent of a blend.
- Valerian
- Yarrow
- Licorice
- St John’s Wort
- Lavender
- Rose Petals
- Damiana
- Elderflower
- Monarda
- Mugwort
- Rosemary
- Skullcap
- Calendula
Use between 5-10 herbs in your mix.
There are several advantages to growing and creating your own herbal teas. Gardening itself is extremely restful and rewarding. With herbs from your garden, you’ll soothe away your troubles with a cup of chamomile tea or your own custom blend after a tough day at work.
Do you have a photo or a short video of you with your herbal garden? Tag us on Instagram @modalthealth.