Summer garden party with a twist - let guests make herbal tea mixes to take home and enjoy

June 18, 3:42 AMSF Backyard Herbal Projects ExaminerLisa Ludwigsen

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Fresh herbs & flowers from the garden make excellent dried tea blends

This summer bring the garden into the party by setting up a simple and inexpensive herbal project for your guests to enjoy.

Create a Make-Your-Own Tea station where guests can custom-blend an herbal tea mix tailored to their specific needs and desires. Follow these easy steps:

• Order bulk herbs from a reputable online company like Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkherb/p.html in Oregon or the San Francisco Herb Company www.herbspicetea.com/scripts/silverware.exe/catalog@d:/elevclients/sfherbtea/elevator.prg. Delivery time is about a week, so plan accordingly.
• Set up wide wooden salad or serving bowls on a table with scoops, ladles or spoons, and place the dried herbs in their respective bowls.
• Make simple cards labeling each herb and its traditional uses, i.e., peppermint for digestive ailments, chamomile for sleep issues, etc.
• Provide a decorative bag or jar for each guest to label and decorate before making their tea blend.

My experience has shown that almost everyone—men and women of all ages —enjoys blending their own teas. It’s fun and easy and tactilely pleasing to smell, touch and creatively mix a custom tea blend.

What to order?
Always stick with well-known, gentle herbs like peppermint, chamomile and lavender, which are surprisingly effective. Some herbs are more expensive than others so order a greater volume of less expensive choices like peppermint, which blends with everything. Of course, organically grown is always preferable. Best of all are plants from your own yard. Even a few dried flower petals such as calendula or lavender from your garden make the activity more special.

Here is a list of safe and reliable standards:
Peppermint – used for everything from a non-caffeine pick-me-up to a serious treatment for gastrointestinal issues. Very sweet and fragrant and a good base for herbal teas.
Chamomile – calming and relaxing, helps with sleep and stomach problems
Lemon Balm – simple anti-depressant good for relieving the blues
Nettles – helps nourish a body worn down by stress
Horehound – coughs, sore throat
Yarrow – an effective fever reliever
Calendula – a few dried flowers add color and are said to soothe stomach irritation
Lavender – soothing and calming. Also adds color and variety to a tea mix.

How much to order?
A suitable mix is 1 to 1-1/2 cups of tea blend per person. Dried herbs are lightweight, weighing only a few ounces per measured cup, so for a group of 15 people, order about 3-4 pounds of herbs total. Herbs have a relatively long shelf life so any leftovers can be put to good personal use or made into gifts.

What type of bags/jars?
I like to use white coffee/gift bags found in gift stores or online www.mountainroseherbs.com/tea_tool/tea_tool.html. Clear glass jars are also nice. Provide labels or tags with the jars so guests can note what is in each blend. Stickers are always popular for decorating bags or jars.

Always make sure you have the correct plant before using or consuming, and consult with a trained herbalist or reliable text (of which there are many) if you have questions. See the list to the right for suggested reading and reference material.  Always consult with a doctor before using any herb if you are pregnant.

Remember: Plants are here for our respected and appreciative use. It is our job to grow, get to know, and use them!

For more information, contact Lisa at lisa@schoolgardenco.com. Find high quality, all natural body care products at www.schoolgardenco.com.