Something wonderful
is brewing Elizabeth McCorquodale looks into the delights of growing a fabulous range of herbs that will allow you to make your own teas all year long
Whether you have a penchant for delicate flavours or prefer something a little more robust, making teas and tisanes sourced from your own patch is a treat not to be missed. There is an elemental pleasure in picking leaves or flowers from your own garden, popping them in a cup and waiting while the boiling water draws the scents and flavours from your plants. Whether you are looking for something fresh and fruity or warm and spicy, even a tiny tea garden can supply all you need for year-round brewing pleasure, with endless possibilities for mixing and combining flavour combinations. It is a little bit of green-fingered alchemy. Tea garden herbs – with the notable exception of the mints –prefer a good, well-drained soil with sun for a good proportion of the day. The mints on the other hand prefer some afternoon shade and plenty of moisture around their roots, though they will cope pretty well wherever they are find themselves as long as it isn’t too dry. All these herbs can be grown among your shrubs, veggies or in patio tubs and because are pretty as well as tasty, they make delightful additions to the flower garden too. Having said that, there is something very satisfying about having little corners of a garden devoted to particular collections of plants and having a dedicated tea garden is no exception. Many of the tea plants listed below are rich sources of nectar as well as scent and flavour, and so attract insects in their droves. A strategically placed bench from which to enjoy the scents and sights will add to your enjoyment of your tea garden. The best time to pick your brewing herbs is in the morning after the sun has had a chance to excite the essential oils in the leaves and flowers. Those that are grown for their leaves will be most productive and flavourful if their growing
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Country Gardener
tips are pinched out regularly to encourage lots of fresh new growth. Cut your herbs, then give them a shake to dislodge any hitchhikers (or a quick rinse under a cold tap, if you must) and pop them straight into a cup or tea pot. Pour over boiling water and leave for a few minutes for the flavours to develop. There are - literally - dozens of herbs and flowers to choose from, ranging in flavour from a rich chocolate mint to a refreshing lemon through hints of liquorice, pineapple and lavender. Start with a handful from the list below. All the plants listed here are hardy perennials unless otherwise stated.
Peppermint and spearmint (Mentha xpiperata, Mentha spicata) are probably the first plants that come to mind when thinking about home grown herbal teas and for good reason - there is nothing so immediately flavourful as a hot mint tea or a cool minty summer cup. Peppermint is used to make the oil that flavours sweets and cakes, while spearmint is the plant used to make mint sauce and to flavour new potatoes and peas. Apple and pineapple mints (Mentha suaveolens, Mentha rotundifolia) are pretty plants and both grow to about two feet tall. They are highly scented and well-flavoured and both add delicious fruity overtones to summer cups. Like all mints it is best to plant them in a bottomless bucket to contain their ruthless wandering.
Chocolate mint (Mentha x piperata ‘Chocolate’) has a surprisingly strong flavour which matches its delicious, rich scent, and a habit which makes it a good choice for the front of the herb border where it can be appreciated by passers-by. To fully enjoy the flavour, add at least eight to ten leaves for each cup of boiling water. Like many mint cultivars it needs to be grown from cuttings or division as it will not grow from seed.