Growing Your Own Tea Garden By Aimee Jo Davis-Varela
Our local climate allows for growing Camellia sinensis (tea plants), but most Ojaians probably don’t have the space it would take to grow enough tea to meet their family’s needs, and many probably don’t want to wait the two to three years it takes before you can start harvesting your tea leaves. This, however, does not mean you cannot grow your own tea ingredients in your garden or on your patio in a convenient container garden. Growing ingredients for herbal teas is easy, does not have to take up much room, and does not require waiting three years before you can start enjoying your crop. Of course, what we call herbal tea is technically not tea at all, since it is not made with leaves from Camellia sinensis. These warm, comforting, caffeine-free concoctions are properly referred to as tisanes or herbal infusions, but we all know them colloquially as herbal teas, so I’m going to go ahead and keep on calling them that here. If you want to grow herbal tea ingredients, the first step is finding a sunny spot for your herb garden, since most 20
herbs like at least six hours of sun per day. Most also prefer well-draining soil, so you may want to opt for raised garden beds or containers, which allow for more control over soil conditions. Since you are planning on consuming what you harvest, avoid chemical-laden fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides and choose natural options instead. Some herbs you might want to consider growing for tea include mint, chamomile, dandelion, lemon balm, lavender, rosemary, sage, coriander, lemon verbena, and parsley. Each of these is commonly used in herbal teas and has been historically used in folk remedies. For example, chamomile is often used to improve sleep, lavender is known for its calming qualities, and coriander seeds are believed to aid digestion. You can also include fruits from your backyard trees, such as dried lemon or orange peels, in your herbal teas. It is important to remember that some herbs are not recommended for certain folks. For example, rosemary is not recommended for pregnant people or people with bleeding disorders. Because OM — March 2021
of this, you should always do a little research before adding a new herb to your garden. Once you harvest your herbs and are ready to start making tea, you may want to do a bit of experimentation to see if you prefer using fresh or dried herbs for your infusions. Fresh herbs can be stored in water on the counter or in a container in the refrigerator for a few days. Dried herbs can be stored much longer in air-tight containers in a dark, cool pantry. When working with fresh herbs, you can expect to use about two to three times more than you would use when working with dried herbs. The steeping time will also be longer when using fresh herbs. While dried herbs are easier to store and work with overall, some believe that using fresh herbs is more beneficial or simply prefer to harvest fresh herbs as needed for their teas. If you have limited space, you might consider growing herbs that you can use for other purposes as well, such as cooking, making sachets, crafting, or making homemade gifts.
