Herb Gardens

Since my last few posts to Herb Gardens have been about herbal teas, I’ve decided to add detailed information on how to go about brewing a cup of herbal tea.

Brewing Methods
When using seeds or roots in your tea, you must first lightly crush them, using a mortar and pestle, or place them in a zip lock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Don’t use a coffee grinder or blender as you will end up with a powder, which is okay for most culinary purposes but too fine to be used in beverages. Add the crushed seeds to any other ingredients you are including in your tea blends.

For each serving of tea you want to make, bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a non-metallic pan. An enameled, non-stick or glass pan works well. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1 teaspoon of dried or 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to the pan. Let this mixture steep for between 3 and 4 minutes. This shorter infusion time yields a refreshing beverage, letting the mixture steep any longer may result in a bitter tasting beverage.

Place a lid on top of your container while it steeps to prevent it from cooling off too quickly. Strain the herbs from the water and pour the infusion into your favorite mug or tea cup. You could also use a French press, or tea pot with a built in infuser basket when making larger amounts of tea. Just be sure to adjust the amount of herbs you use according to how many cups of tea you are making. Those little tea balls you find in some kitchen gadget stores can also be used to make a single cup of tea.

If you prefer iced tea, double the amount of herbs used. Don’t double the amount of time you steep the herbs, as the tea could end up developing a bitter taste. Use 2 teaspoons of dried or 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs for each cup of water you are using when making iced tea. The extra amount of herbs used allows for dilution by the melting of ice cubes that you have added to your iced tea.

Additions to Your Tea
You may add any of the following ingredients, in moderation, to help enhance the flavor of your herbal tea:
-honey
-white sugar
-sugar cubes
-peppermint candy pieces (kids love this idea)
-brown sugar
-demerara sugar
-lemon slices
-orange slices
-lime slices

I’ve never been a fan of adding milk or cream to my tea. A cup of coffee, definitely, but I prefer to serve my tea with a bit of honey and sometimes add a slice of lemon.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA Herb Witch

Teapot Song
I’m a little teapot, short and stout
Here is my handle, here is my spout
When the kettle’s boiling, hear me shout
Tip me over, pour me out.

Herbal Tea Formulas
Here are some formulas for creating tea blends out of your favorite herbs and spices. Use one part of each ingredient listed in the tea recipe you are following. To make a single cup of tea, use 1/2 teaspoon of dried herb leaf for each ingredient listed. You can make these blends in bulk, to have on hand when you are ready to make a cup of tea.

British Herb Tea
This tea makes a caffeine free blend which is similar in taste to traditional black tea. Oswego tea (AKA bee balm or bergamot) was used by Native Americans as a refreshing beverage. Colonial Americans, through their contacts with the various Indian tribes, became aware of this herb and its myriad uses. Oswego tea was one of the many herbal tea substitutes used by the American colonists during the Revolutionary War, which was set off by the events of the Boston Tea Party.

• Sage
• Bergamot
• Lemon balm

Cough and Cold Brew
The anise hyssop adds a natural sweet flavor to this tea. Brew a cup of this tea anytime you are starting to feel a cold come on.

• anise hyssop
• angelica
• cinnamon basil
• catmint

Lemon Drop Tea
This tea tastes terrific served with a bit of honey, and a fresh slice of lemon.

• lemon balm
• lemon basil
• lemon grass
• lemon verbena
• loose green tea leaves

Stress Relief Tea
Take this blend 1/2 hour to an hour before going to bed to help you unwind, relax and get a restful nights sleep.

• chamomile flowers
• lavender flowers
• lemon balm
• catnip

Take care,
Lynn

“Excellent herbs had our fathers of old, excellent herbs to ease their pain.”
-Rudyard Kipling, Our Fathers of Old

If you feel stressed out, anxious or irritable, then soothing and relaxing herbal teas may provide just the help you are looking for. The leaves of a variety of herbs are well suited to being used in herbal tea blends. Hot beverages made with herbs are sometimes referred to as a tisane or infusion.

Here are my top ten favorite tea herbs that I like to grow in my organic garden. The common name is listed first, followed by the Latin name, which is followed by its medicinal attributes. Herbal teas used for medicinal purposes should be taken in moderation, don’t consume more than 3-5 cups per day.

1. Anise hyssop - Agastache foeniculum - coughs, indigestion, nausea, poor appetite.
2. Bergamot - Monarda didyma - colds, digestive disorders, fevers, indigestion, insomnia, nausea. Also known as bee balm and Oswego tea.
3. Catnip - Nepeta cataria - colds, colic, diarrhea, fevers, indigestion, influenza, insomnia, sedative.
4. Chamomile flowers - Chamaemelum nobile - colic, relieves discomfort from gas and indigestion, fever, insomnia, menstrual cramps, nausea, sedative.
5. Sage - Salvia officinalis - anxiety, colds, coughs, diarrhea, fevers, mental fatigue, indigestion, nervous headaches, sore throats.
6. Lavender - Lavandula angustifolia - anxiety, depression, dizziness, indigestion, insomnia, migraine, nausea, nervous headaches, nervous tension, sedative.
7. Lemon balm - Melissa officinalis - alleviates anxiety, colds, mild depression, insomnia, indigestion, digestive disorders, nausea, sedative, tension headaches.
8. Lemon grass - Cymbopogon citratus - colitis, diarrhea, fevers, indigestion, sedative, stress.
9. Lemon verbena - Aloysia triphylla - colds, congestion, mild depression, fevers, headaches, indigestion, nausea, sedative, stomach cramps.
10. Mint - Mentha spp. - antispasmodic, breath freshener, colds, colic, decongestant, flu, indigestion, insomnia, nausea, stress.

Tea and Skin Cancer
It appears that both oral consumption and topical administration of tea may have beneficial effects when it comes to skin cancer. Various studies found the following results.

A University of Arizona study conducted on participants who drank iced black tea and citrus peel found a 42% reduced risk of skin cancer.

Hot black tea consumption is associated with a significantly lower risk of squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. The potential protective effects are thought to be influenced by the strength, temperature and amount of time the tea is brewed.

Topical application of green tea prior to UV exposure inhibited DNA damage or UV-induced skin cancer.

Scientist are gaining interest in and funding for further studies on the effects of tea on human health. More human trials are underway and additional studies are on the horizon. Many of the findings highlighted above are preliminary and only begin to scratch the surface of what lies ahead.

Tea leaves, freshly brewed, possess significant levels of some of the most powerful antioxidants mother-nature provides us. Depending on how it is brewed, tea is low in caffeine. Further evidence strongly suggests that tea can ease the effects of tension and stress, a benefit we can all use more of especially as the holiday’s approach. I have yet to find any evidence that drinking tea is harmful, so why wouldn’t you increase your consumption, potentially warding off the damaging effects of living in our world today?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beth Johnston, a tea importer and noted tea expert, publishes an informative monthly newsletter on tea, tea history, health and lifestyle enhancements. To learn more about the world of tea, join her free newsletter at www.TeasEtc.com/Newsletter.asp or visit www.TeasEtc.com.

REPRINT PERMISSION
This article, including the copyright and “About the Author” section, may be freely reprinted online in its complete and unaltered form provided you send a copy or link of the reprint to us.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TEA
Read Beth’s Tea Blog - www.teasetc.com/blog/beth/

BLOG AUTHOR’S NOTE:

Tomorrow I’ll be posting up a list of some of my favorite herbs, such as chamomile, that can be brewed into teas.

Creating Your Sanctuary

The figure shown below is from a sketch I did of the garden at my last house. It was setup as a garden sanctuary and was located in the front yard, for all my friends and neighbors to enjoy.

KEY CODE

1. East facing planting bed featuring annual herbs and vegetables
   2. South facing planting bed featuring butterfly plants and annual flowers
   3. West facing planting bed featuring perennial herbs and vegetables
   4. North facing planting bed featuring butterfly plants and edible flowers
   5. Centrally located raised planting bed
   6. Bird bath and decorative rotating fountain.
   7. Eastern bench
   8. Western bench
   9. Individual containers for exotic plants that need precise temperature, moisture and lighting requirements such as bay and allspice. These plants can be moved as needed and brought inside if necessary during the winter months.
   10. Bird feeder placed on a 5’ tall post.
   11.Bamboo wind chime.
   12. Garden swing placed in the shade under roof overhang.
   13. Hanging planters mounted under roof overhang.
   14. Eight foot tall metal arbor leading to front door of house, covered with climbing flowering plants.
   15. Front door to house.

ABOVE: My Garden Sanctuary

DETAILS

Each of the four U-shaped raised planting beds contained in my garden are 16’ long by 4’ wide with a 4’ by 4’ section added onto the left and right sides. The east and west beds have a 6’ wide bench in the center of the U-shape. The beds that contain herbs and vegetables have drip irrigation systems installed. The other two beds rely on rain water for the majority of their moisture needs. If any of these beds or my container plantings need supplementary watering I hand water them using rain water that I have collected in my rain barrel which is placed on the east side of my house next to my two compost bins.

The east and west beds are backed by 8’ tall sections of wooden trellis. I have passion flower, pelican vine, indeterminate tomatoes, pole beans, peas, and cucumbers growing on my trellis. Growing vine type plants such as these in a vertical manner makes them less susceptible to disease, easier to harvest and less likely to be inundated with dirt and debris anytime it rains.

Take care,

Lynn

ABOVE: Wild Milk Thistle

WILD CRAFTING
In addition to growing a variety of their own herbs, chefs and herbalists may also collect certain herbs in their natural habitat. The practice of collecting herbs in the wild, is sometimes referred to as wild crafting.

Collecting herbs in the wild should only be done in an area where you have obtained permission from the land owner. When wild crafting, be sure to leave behind enough of the plant material you are harvesting to ensure the survival of future generations of the plant. Unethical collectors over harvest or even dig up the entire population of the herb they are collecting.

OVER HARVESTED HERBS
A few of the herb species that are being threatened due to over zealous wild crafting include:

• Beth root (Trillium erectum)
• Lady’s slipper root (Cyprideium pubescens)
• True unicorn root (Aletris farinosa)
• False unicorn root (Helonias lutea)
• Wild American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)
• Wild goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)

FURTHER INFORMATION
Go to my May 23rd post, Wild Crafting Herbs , for additional information on collecting herbs in the wild.

Yesterday’s post contained a recipe for making homemade lip balm. Here are a few companies that sell a variety of containers and tins, which can be used to store your homemade herbal remedies.

Storage Containers
I like to use 4 ounce dark amber, glass bottles with rubber stoppers to store liquid cosmetics and herbal medicines such as toners, tonics, and tinctures. For more solid beauty creations, such as lotions and salves, you can use a wide-mouthed 4 ounce clear glass jar with a screw on lid. Make sure to label each bottle and jar as your beauty potions all look very similar once they are placed into their various containers.

Businesses such as the Dollar Store or the 99 Cent Stuff store have a multitude of unique plastic and glass containers which can be used to store your homemade herbal beauty treatments. I’ve even found decorative, small glass jars at my local Big Lots store. A few online options for purchasing storage containers are as follows:

Burch Bottle & Packaging
430 Hudson River Road
Waterford, NY 12188
800-903-2830
website: www.burchbottle.com

SKS Bottle & Packaging
Website: www.sks-bottle.com

Specialty Bottle LLC
5200 4th AVE S
Seattle, WA 98108
Website: www.specialtybottle.com

Sunburst Bottle Company
4500 Beloit Drive
Sacremento, CA 95838
916-929-4500
e-mail: info@sunburstbottle.com
website: www.sunburstbottle.com

Take care,

Lynn

Once you start growing your own herbs, you may be interested in other ways that herbs can be incorporated into your life. Cooking with herbs, using herbs for their healing properties, and even creating your own herbal beauty treatments are all ways to infuse every aspect of your life with herbs. This post includes a terrific recipe for creating a homemade lip balm, that is infused with your favorite essential oil. 

Honey Lip Balm
1 cup sweet almond oil
2 ounces grated beeswax
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon essential oil (such as rosemary, orange, peppermint or rose geranium)

I looked in my herb closet and found a quart size glass canning jar. I placed this in a pan half filled with water and turned the heat to medium high. I placed the sweet almond oil and beeswax into the canning jar and used a pot holder to hold the top of the canning jar to swirl around the oil/wax mixture as it was melting. After the oil/wax mixture was completely melted I removed it from the pan of hot water (don’t forget to turn your stove off!) then I stirred in the honey and then carefully added in the essential oil. This is not a very high tech method but it worked and I didn’t have to tell my husband that I ruined another pan!

When you have finished making the lip balm, pour it into small containers and let cool before covering with lids. This recipe will make approximately 8 ounces of lip balm which is quite a lot. Since I’m not planning on opening my own herbal beauty business, I cut the ingredients in half then poured the finished lip balm into two, two ounce wide mouth plastic storage jars with screw on lids. I keep a jar of the lip balm in my purse and the other one in my bathroom’s medicine cabinet to use anytime my lips feel dry. I used rose geranium as my essential oil but other essential oils, such as peppermint or orange, can be used depending upon your own personal preference. If you like a creamier consistency for your lip balm use a little bit less beeswax or add a bit more almond oil.

If you want to give the lip balm away as gifts, or even try selling your own homemade beauty treatments, you can find empty 1/4 ounce lip balm containers from a variety of container and bottle supply companies. Tomorrow’s post will include the contact information for a few of the bottle supply companies that I have made purchases from.

Take care,

Lynn