Nine Herbs for Your Tea Garden

UPDATED: Jan 8, 2023 6:45 PM EST

Grow Your Own Tea Herbs

Wouldn’t you love to take the teapot into the garden and fill it with an impromptu collection of fresh herbs for your morning cuppa?

With your own tea garden of herbs and flowers, you can create an endless variety of herbal teas, all homegrown, free of chemicals and pesticides, and costing only the original plant or seed price. Most of these ‘tea herbs’ are among the easiest plants in the garden to grow.

The basic tea herbs include mint, bee balm, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chamomile, sages, scented geraniums, and calendulas. A few less common others are lemon and cinnamon basil, yarrow, lavender, thyme, rosemary, sage, and roses.

Mint: Both Beneficial and Soothing

Mint plants grow with such abandon that it is best to grow them in a contained area. If planted in the garden, they’ll quickly take over. Instead, plant mints in half barrels or large containers.

There are several types of mint, with true peppermint being the most flavorful. It makes one of the most refreshing and invigorating teas and eases digestive system problems. Infuse several fresh or dried leaves in boiling water and drink a cup up to three times daily.

Spearmint is more common and is the mint used for mint sauce and jellies. It blends well with other herbs, such as lemon balm, without being overpowering. Most garden centers carry apple mint, pineapple mint, ginger mint, chocolate mint, and orange mint as well. Each of these varieties makes a unique, refreshing, and flavorful tea.

Lemon-Flavoured Herbs

Two more common tea herbs are lemon balm and lemon verbena. Lemon balm is less invasive than mint, and when used fresh will give your teas a refreshing citrus aroma and taste. It is fairly mild and goes well with other herbs. Cut this perennial way back in the fall after harvesting the leaves for drying.

Lemon verbena, a native of Chile, is a frost-tender herbaceous shrub with a strong and fresh citrus scent. It is the most flavorful lemon herb of all. Snip sprigs of leaves all year long. Grow lemon verbena in a pot so you can cut it back and winter it indoors in a cool basement. Dry and store the cut foliage in an airtight container.

One of the most colorful tea herbs is bee balm, also called monarda, Oswego tea, or bergamot. This pretty perennial herb requires moist and fertile soil but rewards you with gorgeous red spiky flower heads. The bees and hummingbirds love the flowers. The stalks, flowers, and leaves all have a spicy orange scent and make a citrusy tea.

Chamomile for Relaxation

Another very common herb for tea is chamomile, known for its soothing and calming properties. Chamomile flowers are gathered and dried for teas and blend well with lavender, mints, or lemon balm. A lavender-chamomile blend makes a soothing nighttime tea, relaxing you for sleep.

Make an infusion from the flowers and drink a cup or two daily to relieve cramps and upset stomach and as a digestive aid.

Rosemary

Although rosemary is usually thought of as a culinary herb, it is useful as a tea as well. Because of its antiseptic qualities, rosemary tea can soothe an upset stomach or sore throat.

My favourite rosemary tea recipe is made by simmering rosemary needles (either fresh or dried) with five whole cloves in four cups of water. Allow the tea to simmer for five minutes, then strain it. Drink up to three cups a day.

Medicinal Thyme Tea

Thyme is another culinary herb that should also be planted in your tea garden. Well known as a strong antiseptic, it makes a delicious and flavorful tea. Simply infuse a couple of fresh thyme sprigs in boiling water in a cup. Allow it to stand for five minutes, and remove the thyme. Add a dollop of honey if desired. Drink as needed, up to three cups daily to alleviate cold and flu symptoms and to soothe a sore throat.

Harvesting Tea Herbs

All of these herbs can be used alone or in combination for teas, fresh or dried.

For the most flavourful teas, gather fresh leaves early in the day, once the dew has evaporated and before the sun has caused some of the essential oils to evaporate.

For winter brews, gather the herbs at their most vigorous. Never harvest more than a third of the active growth.

Tie small bundles and hang them up to dry away from direct sunlight, where there is some air circulation.

Make sure they are thoroughly dried. When the leaves are crackling, strip them from the stems, and store them in tightly closed containers out of direct light.

When making your winter teas, use proportionately fewer dried herbs than fresh ones. The right taste, blend, and strength is personal taste, so experiment. Let the scent and flavor of the individual herbs be your guide.