How to Create a Tea Garden

I love drinking hot tea because it is incredibly relaxing, soothing, and nutritious. Anybody else with me? I have been drinking herbal teas for years and have recently started growing several of my own herbs so I can harvest my own little tea garden. One day I would love to have a real tea garden complete with a patio and little tables and chairs to sit around and enjoy tea with friends. But for now, my planter boxes will do!

There are so many wonderful herbs and fruits you can grow to harvest for tea. In this article I am going to go over a few of my personal favorites.

Chamomile

Chamomile is a popular herb among tea lovers. It’s slightly sweet and floral taste makes it a joy to sip on and its well known for aiding in relaxation and sleep. Drinking a cup before bed can help you enjoy a better night’s sleep. Growing and harvesting chamomile is super simple too. Once the plant is in bloom, pluck off the flowers and allow them to dry out. Then they can be steeped in your next pot of tea! I use tea infusers to steep my loose-leaf tea, make sure you have a couple so that you can share with friends!

Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is another great herb for making tea. This delicious herb has a lemon flavor with a touch of mint. Yum! It is also full of antioxidants making it tasty and good for you. Lemon Balm is known to help aid in digestion, reduce anxiety, and reduce insomnia. You can throw some in a pot of tea straight off the vine. In the summer I like to go out in the morning and pick a few leaves for my cup of tea. Just put the leaves in the hot water and let steep for 5 minutes.

Echinacea

Echinacea has been one of my long time go-to plants for immune support. It’s flavor is earthy with a hint of floral and is not overpowering. Echinacea is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory making it great for fighting off illness. It can also possibly help fight cancer. When harvesting Echinacea, you want to make sure the plant is at least in its second year. This will ensure that the root system has fully developed. You can harvest the entire plant for the most medicinal benefits. After it has dried, drink it daily for great immune support!

Mint

Mint may be one of the easiest things to grow ever! If you don’t have a green thumb, try planting some mint. I assure you that you will have plenty (maybe too much) mint in no time! Known for it’s sweet and refreshing flavor profile, mint makes a great tea for any time of day. Mint is full of nutrients, improves digestion, and can help decrease brain fog. Mint can be added directly to tea without being dried first. Like lemon balm, it is easy to pick in the morning and add to tea throughout the day. Try crushing the leaves in the cup to release all those delicious flavors.

Lavender

Lavender is most well-known for its lovely scent and pretty flower arrangements, but it also makes a great tea addition. With its floral, slightly sweet taste, lavender makes for a soothing sip. Lavender is known to help relieve stress and anxiety as well as increase sleep quality. It can also be helpful in reducing headaches and menstrual cramps. Dry the lavender in the sun and then use the flower part for your tea.

Elderberry

Elderberry is a super food and is currently one of my favorite teas. Elderberry is tart and bitter in flavor so it’s nice to add honey to sweeten it up a bit. This plant is high in nutrients and antioxidants and helps to fight colds and the flu. Be sure to check out our post on Elderberry syrup to learn about more of its amazing benefits. The easiest way to make the tea is to dry the elderberry first, then add to water with some honey.

Creating a tea garden is a fun way to add some additional plants to your garden. These plants are great for you, beautiful to look at, and can be dried to have tea ready to go all year long. Do you have a favorite tea that you could grow in your garden?

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