Garden to Glass

Just reminiscing on some of our past adventures. . .

Several years ago, we were feeling a bit defeated. Our lavender field had been destroyed by two back-to-back brutal winters. We replanted, we moved locations, we replanted again and again during the rainiest seasons in Kentucky history. We were not successful in bringing that field back to its former beauty.

So what do you do when your lavender, your main crop, is failing? You plant more herbs!

We planted an herbal tea garden and offered a workshop to show it off!

An herbal tea garden is a great way to grow the herbs and plants to create your own custom tea mixes. Having fresh herbs for brewing tea is not only convenient, but it also ensures that you are using herbs that are free of pesticides, and being able to create the exact combination you want for a cup of tea is such a pleasure.

To brew herbal infusions or “teas,” chop leaves or flowers first and give them ample time in hot water to allow the essential oils to flavor the brew. If using fresh herbs, pick the leaves/flowers then crush between your fingers to release the scent and flavor. Fresh herbs typically have more vibrant, punchy flavors.

Place 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs into a tea ball, then steep in 8 ounces of hot water for 5-10 minutes. For convenience and year-round herbal tea enjoyment, dry your herbs and store in an airtight container. Dried herbs offer a more intense flavor. Steep about 1 tablespoon of herbs per 8 ounces of water for 5-10 minutes. Pour your tea, sweeten with a little sugar or honey if you like, and sip!

Our herbal tea garden includes chamomile, sage, peppermint, apple mint, basil, lemon balm, lemon verbena, anise hyssop, rosemary, stevia, and of course lavender. We even have an actual tea plant!

We are no longer offering workshops, but we learned so much that we would still like to share.

The workshop began with a lesson on the different types of herbs and their healing and calming properties. Herbs are amazing! They smell great, they taste great, and they can heal your body.

Examples:

• Mint Leaves: Mints are calming, cooling and refreshing, and aid digestion. A cup of peppermint tea will ease nausea. Other health benefits of this tea are control of muscle aches and chronic pain, clearing of congestion and mild coughs, and reduction of stress. Mints to try are Peppermint, Spearmint, Chocolate Mint, Apple Mint, and Orange Mint.

• Lemon Balm Leaves: The pleasant lemon aroma of the plant is obvious when the leaves are rubbed or crushed. The most commonly cited uses of lemon balm as an herbal remedy include its calming effect in aromatherapy, as a topical insect repellant, in a compress for insect bites and mild skin irritations, and of course in a tea! Lemon Balm tea promotes relaxation and sleep and reduces anxiety. Citrus herbs are easy going and play well with other herbs so try Lemon Verbena, Lemongrass, or Lemon Thyme.

• Chamomile Buds: The part of the plant that is used for healing and tea is the flowering tops. One of the most well-known benefits of chamomile is its ability to calm the nervous system making it a great anxiety reliever and muscle relaxer. Chamomile tea is often taken during cold season because of its antibacterial properties making for a good immune system booster, and it is an excellent remedy for insomnia or sleep disorders because of its mild sedating properties. The oil in this plant has anti-inflammatory benefits as well and can be used for many types of skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, burns and wounds, and is often found in beauty creams. Other florals to try are Lavender, Rose Petal, and Elderflower Blossom.

• Lavender Buds: Culinary lavenders are usually the Angustifolia varieties that may be purple, pink, or white in color. Lavender’s medicinal uses have been appreciated and documented for centuries. A cup of lavender tea can soothe your mind and body by inducing sleep and uplifting your spirit. Lavender tea can be used as a wash on the chest to help reduce cough, bronchitis, cold and other respiratory issues. Lavender oil is very versatile for aromatherapy, bath and beauty products, and cleaning products.

• Raspberry Leaf: You can add a ripe, berry-like quality to a tea without using actual berries. Both leaves and blossoms of raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry plants add mild fruitiness to teas, and raspberry and blackberry leaves have a tannin profile similar to black tea, which makes them an excellent base for a caffeine-free herbal tea that tastes more like, you know, real tea.

• Stevia Leaf: It is called “sweet leaf” for good reason. The dried leaves are an excellent addition to tea blends, especially with fruity and minty base herbs.

We provided the dried herbs, and the guests were invited to make their own tea bags to take home. If you are part of a group that gets together to try new things, this is an idea for you!

Also, adding dried fruit, berries, and spices to your herbal tea blends provides immeasurable opportunities for flavor potential.

• Larger fruit can be peeled, cored or pitted, cut into bite sized pieces, and dehydrated to add. Think apples, peaches, apricots, plums, and mango.

• Any berry tastes great in tea. Dry, chop into small pieces, and add to your blends. Think blackberries, cranberries, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, currants, elderberries, and mulberries.

• Spices are also a great addition to tea blends, but go easy – spices infuse strong and fast; herbs are slower. Excellent tea spices include the sweet and cookie spices, along with anything citrus-derived. Think cardamom, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange peel, lemon peel, ginger, fennel seed, star anise, or coriander.

It was during our preparation for this workshop that we developed our own tea blends that we still offer today because they are so popular!

What's a tea party without food! Our lavender tea party menu included the sampling of an iced mint tea and a hot chamomile tea alongside cucumber sandwiches, pimento cheese flower sandwiches, lavender rum cake, and basil scones with blackberry lavender jam and whipped cream! Those scones!!! Amazing!

Tea is not the only beverage where your herbs can shine! Herb-infused cocktails are all the rage. We must have been ahead of our time when we were offering our lavender rim salt and sugars, but we're discussing bringing them back for a limited time offer just for the summer cocktail season.

We love our herbal tea garden, but you could also plant a cocktail garden by including a mixture of herbs, fruits, and vegetables:

A variety of mints -- apple, pineapple, orange, and chocolate

Basil and cilantro

Lemon herbs -- verbena, thyme, lemon balm, and lemongrass

Lavender, of course

Add a few fruits and veggies:

Mini cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers, strawberries, and watermelon

Lavender is still our main herb of choice, so we have an entire recipe booklet of lavender beverages! For the remainder of June, send us a message, and we'll send you back a free copy.