Herb Gardening

Lesson 4: What Now?

Making tea

Okay, let’s take a break and have a cup of tea.

I like to use both my fresh herbs and the dried ones in teas. Making a cup of tea out of your own garden is pure delight. The general rule for brewing a cup of herbal tea is to bring the water to a full boil.

Have your china or ceramic teapot ready (never use metal it will absorb the taste of the herb) to fill with the boiling water. You will want to use 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs or 1 tablespoon of dried herbs for each cup of tea you are brewing. Toss the herbs in the pot and pour the water in. Let it steep for at least five minutes. I like to cover my pot with a tea towel to keep it piping hot.

You can serve your tea with lemon and/or honey. You can combine different herbs for different flavors and medicinal effects. When I am using a bland herb, like oat straw, I like to put some peppermint or spearmint with it to spice up the flavor. Actually your mints, any that you prefer, are great to add to almost any cup of tea. They have an added benefit of being soothing on your stomach.

A word of caution here – not all herbs should be used in a tea. Make sure you know what herb you are using and what, if any, effects it could have on your body.

A good idea when you first begin to experiment with tea would be to use only one herb at a time (except perhaps a mint for flavor) because you can be allergic to anything – even herbs considered safe to use. And don’t use more than the recommended 2 tablespoons. Some herbs, in high dosages, can be dangerous even lethal.

If you are novice to the herb world its better to stick to the tried and true safe herbs. Again, (I know I have said this often) do your research. The more you learn about what you are attempting the more you will be confident that the results will be desirable.

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