Grow the perfect cup of tea from your garden! Enjoy the freshness, smell, taste and health benefits of homemade tea by trying the below ingredients from the garden in your next brew.
Herbs
Not only are herbs super versatile for cooking, they are also perfect for a variety of drinks including creating fresh tea. Grow your herbs close to the kitchen for easy access, either in a garden bed or a pot. Below are a selection of herbs to treat your tastebuds.
- Chamomile: especially good infused in hot water for tea. Chamomile creates a calming and soothing tea, great for relaxation, digestion and commonly consumed at night for a good night's sleep! It only needs to be infused for a few minutes so it doesn't taste too bitter.
- Bergamot: offers a citrus-mint flavour. For best results, dry the leaves first and then infuse to make a tea.
- Lemon balm: lemon balm looks similar to mint, but has a slight lemon scent. Good for coughs and colds, lemon balm creates a refreshing and relaxing tea.
- Mint: whether it's fresh spearmint or peppermint leaves, mint creates a fresh, clean tasting tea.
- Rosemary: full of calming, healing (including anti-inflammatory) properties, rosemary is a flavoursome option for tea. Use new, soft rosemary leaves picked fresh from the garden.
To dry herbs for use later, pick after a couple of fine days and in the morning once any dew has dried. Dry in bunches or individually in a shady spot.
Flowers
With their scent and colour, the below flowers are worth a try in your next tea.
- Borage: to make borage tea, boil the flowers in water for 10 minutes.
- Lavender: packed with health benefits lavender can be used fresh or dried to make a smoothing tea. Pick lavender before they fully bloom.
Tips
- Add honey as a sweetener if needed.
- Mix up a few different herb varieties to find the perfect tea taste.
- Plant herbs in Tui Herb Mix, a free draining planting mix, rich in nitrogen to promote green, leafy growth and continuous harvesting.
We'd love to hear the plants you enjoy making into tea - comment below!
Note: not all plants are edible so make sure you identify the flowers or leaves correctly before using it for tea. If you are unsure, check with your local garden centre.
When should I plant
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Grow your own tea Comments
Lemon Verbena also makes a lovely herbal tea however, like many herbs should only be used modestly.
Alyse
We love Lemon Verbena Tea also in Kombucha,-- Delicious!!
Mary Schmack
Lemon grass rosemary and lavender made nice high tea with sweet dessert ...A bunch lavender keep under your pillow for headache and fresh your room
Julia Ho
Hi Julia, that sounds lovely! Thanks for sharing these tips. Happy gardening from the Tui Team
jenna
Whats the best recipe for compost in a tumbler
Paul Drake
Hey there - can you give me a quote for plants (I can plant- in sandy soil, in the shade, buy the sea) to cover 3 by 2 meter area. Please price delivery to BOP - Many thanks.
Ian
Hi Paul, great question. Check out our guide to composting in a tumbler here: http://www.tuigarden.co.nz/howtoguide/composting-guide Happy gardening, Jenna ^Tui Team
jenna
Hi Ian, thanks for getting in touch. Tui don't sell plants, we sell all the products to plant in and with to retail stores. We suggest getting in touch with your local garden centre such as Palmers or Decor Garden Centre for help with plant suggestions for your area. Thanks ^Tui Team
jenna
Thanks. I have been looking for this info.
Adrienne Hay
Hi Adrienne, you're welcome. We hope you enjoy fresh tea from your garden! ^Tui Team
jenna
How exactly do you make it into tea? Just dry it ( how long to dry) and pour over hot water or can I use fresh??? I have a major crop of lemon balm that I've never used so this would be great, thank you
Diane
Hi Diane, thanks for getting in touch. Tea sounds like a great way to use your lemon balm. Harvest your lemon balm just as the flower buds are forming. This is when flavour is at it's strongest. To oven dry, snip off the leaves and dry on a rack in a slow oven or dehydrator. You can also use a microwave to dry them. To make the tea, use a teaspoon of dried herbs. Lemon balm tends to lose flavour in hot water, so use more if you prefer a stronger tea. Enjoy!
Tui Team
I use fresh rosemary tips for tea, just steeped in the cup for 3-5 minutes. Rosemary is good for memory, concentration.
Lyn Williams
Hi Lyn, great idea :) thanks for sharing.
Tui Team