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Grow a Flourishing Backyard Tea Garden for Brewing

Homegrown herbs and tea leaves can flavor your beverage

Lorena Endara/Getty Images Basil, lemon balm, sage and mint might be popular in pesto, lasagna and soup but Christina Dedora prefers using the herbs in tea. Dedora started blending and selling herbal teas like Afternoon Delight, Dream Sweet and Flower Power through her business, The process, she says, is . Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. "Herbs are a great addition to the garden [and] people don't know how easy it is to make your own tea,” she says. Technically, “teas” made from herbs aren't teas at all; they are tisanes or herbal infusions. Only beverages made with the leaves of the Camellia sinensis (tea) plant truly merit the “tea” moniker. But informally these herbal concoctions are called “tea because … if we called them tisanes or herbal infusions, people wouldn't know what we were talking about,” explains Dedora. Home gardeners can grow plants to make their own herbal tisanes or traditional teas.

Growing a true tea bush

Camellia sinensis leaves are used to make black, green, white and oolong teas. Like other camellia species, this evergreen bush grows best in warmer climates. Steve Lorch, founder of , suggests gardeners below zone 7 grow Camellia sinensis in greenhouses or pots that can be moved indoors in the winter. (Not sure of your gardening zone? Check out the). Tea plants tolerate sun or shade but prefer acidic soil. "It's a pretty, useful ornamental plant [and] once you get it established, it's an easy plant to care for,” Lorch says. After four to six years, plants are considered mature and produce up to five servings of tea per year. Processing Camellia sinensis takes a bit of work. Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers >

Herbs to flavor your brew

Growing herbs for tisanes or herbal “teas” is much easier. Choose a sunny garden spot to plant seedlings like chamomile, lavender, echinacea and lemongrass, which are sold in most nurseries. Peppermint, spearmint and catnip can even be grown in containers on the patio. Herbal teas also offer significant health benefits: Chamomile is linked to ; peppermint has antimicrobial and antiviral properties and has been shown to ease digestive upset; and ginger is associated with . Lemon verbana tea Getty Images If you're growing herbs for tea, Dedora suggests steering clear of pesticides. Harvest fresh herbs in the morning when the oils — and flavor — are strongest. You can steep fresh herbs in boiling water to make garden-to-teacup brews but dried herbs pack a bigger flavor punch. "Dried is the way to go,” Dedora says. “Dried herbs dry in the oils so you use less." To dry, harvest a handful of herbs on the stem and bundle the stem ends with an elastic; hang them in a dark room. Exposure to direct sunlight will degrade the oils in the leaves, while a humid spot — like a bathroom — could cause mold to grow on the leaves. Once the leaves are dried, which takes about two weeks, strip them from the stems (a process called garbling) and store them in a paper bag or glass jar until you're ready to make tea. Dedora notes that dried herbs have a shelf life of up to two years. Plan to use about one tablespoon of dried herbs per teacup; double the amount if using fresh herbs. You can purchase reusable tea bags or a tea strainer (also known as a tea ball) to separate the fresh or dried herbs from the water. You can use a single variety of herb, like peppermint, or mix multiple herbs, like lavender, lemon verbena and spearmint, to make custom tea blends. Don't be afraid to get creative. "Not only is [tea from herbs growing in your backyard] healthier and fresher but you're saving on your carbon footprint,” Dedora says. “There is absolutely a wow factor." More on home-family AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS