Tending an herbaceous plant garden is a delicious mode to expand your works vocabulary . And growing perennial herbs specifically for tea also open up new macrocosm of flavor and ego - care . Plus you ’ll join a centuries - long tradition of imbibe tea to take in the medicative benefits of certain herbs and plant life .
Perennials are plant that get along back year after twelvemonth . You ’ll find that many of the perennial herbs listed here are well experience homestead garden plants . These are easy - to - grow multipurpose plants , also used as proven companion plants in the vegetable garden .
They ’ll continue to give you larger harvest year after year , both because they spread and because , as you cut back to harvest , they produce more copiously .
There ’s an almost dateless variety of plant that could make this list , but we ’ll take off with a few of the most common . We ’ll go over the basic planting conditions and variety suited for tea .
Mint
lease ’s tackle the aggressive spreaders in the mint family . I admit that I have both Malus pumila wad and a Mentha spicata constitute in ground . I think between my chickens eating them and my continual harvest home , we have establish a balance . But you should plant in bay window , take in during the winter or start fresh each year .
Other fun varieties for tea leaf let in apple mint , drinking chocolate mint , peppermint and pineapple mint . I enjoy mixing different pot together in the same loving cup of tea !
Monarda
Since monarda is colligate to the mint family ( you ’ll notice the hearty stalks as you lop ) , it ’s not surprising that these perennials apportion many characteristic — include vigorous spreading via rhizome . It isalso known as Monarda citriodora in England , but more often you ’ll see this plant mention to as bee balm or bergamot in the States .
Cutting earlier in the season is key when harvesting monarda for tea . This leaves later blooms for the pollinator . I wish blending monarda with mint and lemon balm .
Read more : Check out this video to discover more about monarda !
Lemon Balm
Also in the mint family and a happy spreader ( though less vigorous than lot and monarda ) , lemon balm grows in lower mound and add together a sunny light green to the border . It will send up spike of bloom later in summer unless unendingly trimmed . you could cut down this herbaceous plant all the way of life back to dirt floor .
In the cup , lemon balm has a angelic lemony flavour that I regain overpowering by itself . However , it is thoroughgoing when mix with other lighter flavors like apple lot , Hyssopus officinalis or boo leaf .
Anise Hyssop
A beautiful add-on to the tea garden , aniseed hyssop can be short lived , so you may have to reseed every few age .
you may smell the sweet Glycyrrhiza glabra scent just brush by this arresting plant . They are wildly popular with pollinator as well . I tend to exit the flush for the bees , and snip the leave for me .
Thyme , marshmallow and hoot folio are also easy - to - grow , multipurpose plants to add as your herbal teatime garden spring up !
Preparing Your Tea
All of these herbs can be hung and air dry out out of verbatim sunshine to employ in tea leaf . Once juiceless , store in airtight containers in a dark infinite . They will last indefinitely but continue the best flavour and most medicinal attribute within the first yr after harvest .
To steep , I add mixed dry herb to a rich strainer and unconscionable for at least five minutes , often reuse the bunch of leave twice .
you’re able to take more selective information about growing and keep up herbson my web site .
-Michelle BruhnForks in the Dirt
