Here is a garden that is not only practical but you can have a lot of fun designing. A tea themed garden should grow herbs that are used for tea and be a fun place to entertain.
Imagine creating flowerpots out of fancy tea kettles. Many herbs, such as chamomile, would look perfect in a tea kettle! You could also use old teacups and saucers to create bird baths, feeders or even grow tiny plants like thyme. Do drill a few drainage holes in the bottoms of the cups, saucers, or anything you’re going to plant in so there is adequate drainage.
Make room for a cozy tea table and some comfortable chairs in your garden. Bamboo mats as well as bamboo plants are all a plus, as are those mellow sounding bamboo wind chimes. Certain varieties of bamboo can be invasive so read the plant tags carefully and make sure the one you choose is hardy in your climate zone.
Easy-to-grow herbs such as mints, lemon or lime balm, scented geraniums, lemon verbena and chamomile, as well as a host of others, are very easy to grow, fragrant and they make wonderful teas. The attractive evergreen shrub that non-herbal tea comes from, Camellia sinensis, can be grown in zone 6 with protection.
Like all Camellia species, sinensis grows best in loose, acid soil, well supplied with humus. Camellias grow best in partial shade and their roots should always be covered with a deep organic mulch such as wood chips or bark.
To make green tea simply pick young shoots from the Camellia sinensis. Be sure the ones you choose have two to three sets of leaves growing on them. Allow the shoots to dry in the shade for a couple hours.
Once the shoots are free from signs of any surface water, steam them on your stove in a vegetable steamer for about one minute. The final step before they are ready to be used is to dry them in a 250 degree F oven for twenty minutes to ensure there is no moisture in the leaf.
In addition to the camellia leaves that you will use in your homemade teas you can add in any combination of the herbs mentioned above. A general rule of thumb is to use ½ teaspoon of dried herbs for every cup of water. This can be adjusted to your liking using more or less herbs. The herbs mentioned are only a few suggestions. Many other herbs make great teas. For pure and simple enjoyment, you can grow the ingredients for herbal tea right in your own yard or apartment.
