A cup of tea made from herbs you grew yourself is a simple, cozy pleasure — one that lets you hold on to the peace and tranquility of your garden long after the growing season has ended.
“Tea gardens are a great way to grow something edible and useful for yourself with low maintenance,” says Kirsten Kesicki, co-founder of Yard Crop. Over the years, Kesicki’s has worked with homeowners to create dozens of gardens in backyards across the North Fork, many of which incorporate herbs for both beauty and utility.
While true tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant — including black, green, and white tea — herbal teas, also known as tisanes, are made from a wide variety of herbs, flowers and fruits. When brewed together, these infusions can create a range of flavors and often offer natural benefits, from soothing digestive aids like peppermint to calming flowers like chamomile.
Planting the seeds
Whether you’re working with a small raised bed, a couple of containers or a dedicated garden plot, herbs are one of the easiest, most rewarding plants to grow. They’re low-maintenance, resilient and can thrive with minimal attention once established.
While you don’t need much space, you do need to choose the right spot. Most herbs for tea prefer full sun — about six hours of sunlight per day.
Another important factor in planting a tea garden is choosing the right mix of herbs. While you can grow just one or two herbs for tea, the most rewarding gardens combine a variety of flavors and health benefits tailored to your personal preferences and needs.
“There’s certainly a variety of different types of annuals and perennial herbs that people can grow,” says Kesicki. “A few of them are native plants, which is great for our local North Fork environment.”
Amy Anthony, a certified aromatherapist and founder of NYC Aromatica, is a client of Kesicki who has transformed her yard into an herbal oasis. She uses these herbs to craft tisanes and essential oils that promote health and wellness. Here are a few varieties from Anthony’s tea garden to serve as inspiration in creating your own.
Yarrow A member of the daisy family, yarrow is a hardy, drought-tolerant perennial with a strong licorice-like aroma. It has a mild, sweet taste with a bitter finish and is often used in tea for its potential health benefits — promoting hormonal balance and alleviating digestive issues. “The leaves can also be chewed up and then used as a poultice on top of wounds to help stop bleeding,” adds Kesicki.
Lemon Balm As the name suggests, lemon balm has a mild lemon aroma and a subtle, citrusy flavor. A member of the mint family, the leaves of this anti-inflammatory perennial herb can be made into tea to promote sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, improve appetite and aid in digestion. When watering, the soil should be moist but not wet to prevent the roots from rotting.
Calendula Calendula, an herb that can be either annual or perennial, is characterized by its slightly spicy and bitter flavor. A beautiful, colorful addition to any garden, calendula is praised for its potential to promote wound healing, reduce inflammation and fight infections. Drinking calendula tea has also been reported to help break fevers by creating a sweat.
Echinacea Also known as purple coneflower, echinacea is a popular native perennial that features a strong floral scent and taste. Often paired with lemon balm and chamomile in tea, it’s used to promote one’s immune system to help fend off viruses and infections. It’s also used to soothe a sore throat and minimize aches and pains caused by the common cold and influenza. Echinacea tea can be made with dried or fresh plant material and the entire plant can be used, from the leaves and stems to the roots, making it a versatile herb for any garden.
Mint Whether you’re growing peppermint, spearmint or any of the many other varieties, mint is an absolute must for a tea garden. With the ability to help increase alertness, it’s a good caffeine-free alternative to a cup of coffee in the morning and offers other potential health benefits, such as indigestion relief. These perennial herbs grow best when planted in a sunny but sheltered spot, ideally in a pot that can contain its rapidly growing and wide-stretching roots.
Lavender Lavender is another easy-to-grow perennial herb that’s drought-tolerant and attracts pollinators. It has a wide range of uses — English lavender, in particular, is a popular choice for culinary and baking uses. The dried flower buds, steeped in water, are used by many to increase sleep quality, reduce anxiety, relieve menstrual pain and boost mood.
Lemon Verbena This herb is a powerhouse when it comes to health benefits. Its lemony flavor, reminiscent of Juicy Fruit gum, makes for an incredibly refreshing tea that’s packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, making it ideal for athletes who need to recover their muscles. It grows well in locations with full sun and well-draining soil, as its roots do not like to remain wet.
German Chamomile German chamomile, a charming annual herb resembling mini daisies, is known for its potential to promote better sleep and alleviate stress. It’s often described as having a honey-like sweetness to it with herbal and grassy notes. While German chamomile thrives in full sun, it’s adaptable enough to be grown in partial shade, offering flexibility for gardeners.
Tulsi Basil Also referred to as “holy basil,” this herb is considered sacred in Ayurvedic medicine for its ability to reduce stress and enhance immunity. While commonly grown as an annual in most parts of the U.S., it has the potential to thrive as a perennial in warmer climates, and flourishes in full sun. In addition to supporting the immune system, this sweet-flavored herb is used to lower stress levels, reduce fever, alleviate anxiety and regulate blood glucose levels.
Harvest time
Timing is key when it comes to harvesting your tea herbs. To get the best flavor and potency, aim to harvest your herbs at the right stage of growth. For floral herbs, it’s best to gather them just before they fully bloom. For leafy herbs, harvest before they begin to flower.
Choose a sunny day for harvesting to ensure the plants are dry and free from moisture that could affect their quality. Anthony recommends harvesting herbs in the late morning after the dew has dried.
While you can steep fresh herbs straight from the garden, it’s recommended that the herbs are dried for a stronger concentration of flavors, and to allow for better storage over time.
When it comes to drying your herbs, there are a few methods that you can employ.
One of the oldest is to form small bunches and hang them upside down in a spot that’s dry and out of direct sunlight. Before drying herbs, brush off any dirt, or carefully rinse them under cool water to remove any aphids, dust or fertilizer residue. Be sure to dry the leaves thoroughly before bundling and hanging to prevent mold growth. Damp areas can lead to mold, which causes rotting.
Another option for drying is to use drying racks — Anthony and her husband craft their own using a wooden frame and some mesh screen.
Serve & Sip
Once your herbs are harvested, Kesicki advises mixing and matching them according to your taste preference and health needs. One of her personal favorite methods is to create a “sun tea” by combining fresh lemon verbena and mint.
“Just put fresh leaves in a pitcher of water, cover it and sit in the sun for a few hours,” Kesicki says. “Then put it over a glass of ice and you’ll have this nice herbal-infused water.”
Anthony, on the other hand, prefers to prepare her tea using the cold infusion method — just add your herbs to cool water, let it steep for a few hours in the fridge, and enjoy.
“A lot of the teas that we drink are really aromatic based. Aromatics can be really upset by the heat and the steam,” she explains. “Boiling water and heat also brings out bitterness, which is good for digestion, but we don’t always want to taste that when we want more of a pleasure tea.”
For those who prefer a hot brew, it’s generally recommended that hardier roots and tougher leaves like echinacea, yarrow, tulsi basil, lemon balm, lemon verbena and mint steep at a higher temperature, around 200 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, while delicate flowers like chamomile, lavender and calendula steep at a lower temperature, around 185 degrees, as they can become bitter if steeped at too high of a temperature. Steeping time ultimately depends on personal preference of potency, but five to 10 minutes is recommended.
Local resources
Ready to start your own tea garden? The North Fork has plenty of local resources to help you get started.
› Herricks Lane Farm (81-91 Herricks Lane, Jamesport, 631-722-2293) is a certified organic medicinal plant farm and apothecary offering a wide assortment of herbs perfect for tea gardens. In addition to selling plants, they host educational workshops on herbal medicine and provide garden consulting services.
› Another excellent resource is Peconic River Herb Farm (2749 River Road, Calverton, 631-369-0058). This boutique nursery specializes in medicinal herbs and carries an extensive collection. They also offer
garden consultations to ensure your garden thrives.
› Papa’s Organic Plants (540 Rocky Point Road, East Marion, 631-477-6536) is a family-run business in East Marion, offering over 400 varieties of USDA-certified organic herbs and vegetable plants.
› You can also find a small selection of herbs like holy basil, lemon verbena and calendula at Sang Lee Farms (25180 County Road 48, Peconic, 631-734-7001).
› On Shelter Island, White Oak Farm and Gardens (74 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island, 631-749-5814) is a full-service home and garden center with a variety of plants and herbs.
› For more specialized advice, Kirsten Kesicki recommends consulting with local experts such as April Alexander of Blooming Curiosity (blooming-curiosity.com), holistic landscaper Katherine Wilcenski of Solstice Garden Co. (solsticegardendesign.com), or Dr. Emily McDonald, a holistic MD who specializes in plant medicine (tulsivis.com).
