Teas

[mischief]

Does anyone have a Tea garden?

Somewhere they grow different plants for tea?

Do you have a favourite blend?

Do you do the seasonal thing with your blends?

This is an area I have started to get interested in.
I dont have a specific spot at the moment just for teas but I have been thinking abbout creating one under the clothes line with the slightly taller plants nearer the pole and getting lower as they move outwards.

I have started growing herbs for this purpose, some are actually multi purpose plants..bee plants etc.
So far I have Bergamot,German Chamomile,Camilia Tea Plant,apple mint, Mexican marigold, and a Thai basil.
I have been looking into what plants leaves can be used as a base for teas and found that things like currant and raspberry/blackberry can be.

[purplepear]

I love stinging nettle and lemon verbina but you need to be a bit carefull (especially if pregnant) with some herbs as a tea. I once saw a recipe for mothers helper "when hubby is off to work and the kids are on their way to school - just pause before starting the house work with a cup of Basil and Borage tea to get your day started.

[eco4560]

Lemon grass....

[permasculptor]

Yerba Mate

[mischief]

I was told that peach leaves were used in China as a tea.
I tried a cup today of new tip leaves and tipped it out after one mouthful.

It tasted strongly of almonds which made me wonder if it was safe to drink.
I didnt notice any side affects tho.

Purplepear.
What sort of Basil do you use?
There are so many differnt types to choose from these days.

[purplepear]

Just the common "sweet" variety I guess or perenial but I guess it wouldn't matter too much.

[Tulipwood]

For lactation:
to increase - fenugreek, fennel, blessed thistle
to decrease - sage ... though I have heard all the ones from the song will decrease - ie parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

[bonsai]

I am very interested in growing plants for tea.. especially Camellia sinensis.. has anyone has good success in Victoria or Tassie?

[PDB]

Hi All
I would love to grow my own tea. I have heard that it is Camellia sinensis. does anyone know were I can get one from? Thanks, Paul

[eco4560]

I think Diggers sells them on line in Australia. You might even pick one up at a local nursery. Just make sure it's sinensis not another camellia.

[Michaelangelica]

Hi All
I would love to grow my own tea. I have heard that it is Camellia sinensis. does anyone know were I can get one from? Thanks, Paul
I have seen them in my local nursery occasionally also at The Hardware Store "Whose name cannot be mentioned'

The excellent wholesaler "Paradise Plants" is providing all the plants for a new Japanese Tea Plantation at Somesby NSW
http://www.paradiseplants.com.au

[Imarni]

I have lots and lots and lots of Lemon Balm (Melissa) growing and occasionally make a tea from it, it's realy good for calming the nerves.

[Fernando Pessoa]

For a truly relaxing,calming brew cannabis and galangal.It costs about 100 dollars a litre but it's worth every cent,stores well in the fridge and you can make a great butter with the left over pulp,which in turn makes excellent cookies.
Thats function stacking....that's permaculture;>)

[purplepear]

sounds worth a go Ch ... Fernando

[Fernando Pessoa]

Purple,I am not Charles either but good try.
Best wishes
Fernando

[Grasshopper]

For a truly relaxing,calming brew cannabis and galangal.It costs about 100 dollars a litre but it's worth every cent,stores well in the fridge and you can make a great butter with the left over pulp,which in turn makes excellent cookies.
Thats function stacking....that's permaculture;>)

Have not had it with galangal just honey and it was good
Lemon grass and ginger while sitting on the veranda in Goa is a good memory of tea too
I have had a tea with dried mango in it which is excellent
I also had a tea with apple in it in Turkey which was excellent
Mountain Sage tea in Turkey and Greece great and refreshing good for a sore throat too.
I haven't used peach leaves for tea but added a few to a cake recipe and it was a very almondy taste (i was thinking arsenic but it was a great flavour... didnt kill me )
Just like broken cherry pips in a cherry liquer.

[Susan Girard]

Camellia sinensis grows okay in the Upper Blue Mountains so I'm guessing Victoria and Tassie would not be a problem.

[Grahame]

Yerba Mate

Perma, do you have a Yerba Mate plant? I spent a few months in Argentina and grew to like it, not just for the taste but also for the tradition. I always planned to get my self a mate and a bombilla when we came back to Oz. Never got around to it though.

On another note, I think tea as in Camellia really needs altitude to get the caffeine levels, or quality or something like that, right

[permasculptor]

Yes Graham I do Its growing well.Do you know how best to propagate them?

[Grahame]

Apparently you can do it buy cuttings or by seed. Although from what I can gather the seeds lose viability reasonably quickly and can take a while to germinate. Have you had any fruits?

I'm not sure how well it would do down here though.

[permasculptor]

Yes it has little red berries.I have tried cuttings a few times still no luck.I ll look for seeds.

[Fernando Pessoa]

Something I always wanted to ask you Permasculptor,did you once many many moons ago write an article on your back yard in sydney for the permaculture international journal?
Fernando

[permasculptor]

No Fernando not me.The name just suited me at the time I started here. I was a market sculptor before having kids and finding permaculture.
Steven Ward may be the original - from PC international mag 1985 issue 59.
Don't let me bogart the name we here are all permasculptors.

[mischief]

My daughter and her partner brought Yerba Mate back with them from Argentina or Brazil, I forget which(they did it legally).
They also brought me a present of the little cup and silver straw to drink it with but to be honest I really didnt like it like that.
I got stuck with about a kg of this stuff and didnt dare throw it out cos it was his fav drink.
Then I hit on the idea of just putting it in a tea pot like ordinary tea and like it like that so Im on the look out for this plant too.

[PDB]

My lovely wife got me four plants for Christmas!! Thanks every one,

[Fernando Pessoa]

Thanks Sculptor,to this moment those PIJ journals are one of my most prized things in the bookshelf.
Fernando

[permasculptor]

You are most welcome Fernando.
I only have the one but it is full of great information.