Herbs For Tea Are Easy To Grow And Enjoy
Herbal teas are one of the most popular drinks in the world. They have been used for centuries for many medicinal purposes, to help one relax or to simply enjoy. Many of the herbs used in teas are easy to grow and add to the beauty and fragrance of any garden.
Growing Herbal Tea Plants
Finding the right spot in your garden is an important first step. Most herbs require full sun and well drained soil. Many can also be grown in containers on your patio or even on a windowsill. Garden centers generally carry a nice variety of herb plants in spring and many herbs can also be grown from seed.
Drying Herbs or Using Them Fresh
Herbs can be dried and stored for long periods of time or used fresh. Whichever method you choose, be sure to wash the herbs prior to use or drying.
Drying herbs is easy. Tie a bunch together and hang them upside down in a dry location. It is helpful if this is over a table or counter as some of the leaves will fall off as they dry. It could take several days for them to completely dry. Dried herbs can be stored in a decorative glass jar for use later.
To use herbs fresh for tea, simply pick leaves right before use. Place the leaves in a bowl or cup and pour hot water over them. Allow the tea to steep for a few minutes and them simply filter out the leaves.
5 Herbs To Start With to Grow Herbal Tea
German Chamomile – Matricaria recutita
This is a beautiful daisy-like flower with white petals and a yellow center. It grows 1’-2’ tall. German chamomile prefers dry soil and can tolerate light shade. German Chamomile is an annual best grown from seed.
The flowers are used for making tea.
Health Benefits – Used to treat mouth ulcers, gastric ulcers, hay fever and other respiratory tract inflammations, menstrual cramps, and fibromyalgia. Also good for helping you relax and go to sleep.
Mints – Mentha sp.
Peppermint and spearmint make excellent teas but be careful with it in the garden; it can take over. This may be one plant to grow in a flower pot. It has lilac to pink flowers, grows 1’-2’ tall and prefers full sun to part shade. Mints have a very refreshing smell in the garden. Mints are perennial plants.
Leaves are used for making tea.
Health Benefits – Mint teas are good for improving digestion, reducing gas and heartburn, and with honey at night, relieves coughs and helps one sleep.
English Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia
Not only a wonderful herb, one of the most beautiful of all garden plants. Purple-blue flowers grow above green-gray foliage. It is fragrant and grows 1’-1.5’ in full sun. Lavender is a perennial.
The flower buds are used for making tea.
Health Benefits – Lavender relaxes the mind and body, relieves anxiety and stress, pain from indigestion.
Lemon Balm – Melissa officinalis
Similar to mints, this plant tends to take over gardens and is also best grown in pots. Be sure to pinch off flowers before it sets seeds so that it does not self-seed all over the place. Lemon balm has white to pale yellow flowers, grows 1’-2’ tall and prefers full sun to part shade. Lemon Balm is a perennial.
Leaves are used for making tea.
Health Benefits – Lemon Balm is used for calming nerves, relieving anxiety, tension headaches, flatulence, indigestion and menstrual cramps.
Purple Coneflower – Echinacea sp.
Also one of the most beautiful plants in the garden. As the name indicates, the flowers are purplish pink, grows 2’-5’ tall in full sun. It is a pollinator plant and a perennial. The flower is used for making tea.
Health Benefits – Coneflower helps prevent colds and flu, treats upper respiratory tract infections, and can relieve rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, vaginal infections, and urinary tract infections.
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