It's the season of beautiful herbs! While many of the herbs we grow at Oliview are rated as "drought tolerant", that really just means that we won't kill those plants if we forget to water them for a few 110-degree days... not that they thrive in hot, dry conditions. In fact, the conditions they love are happening right now: cool nights, evenly moist soil from the rain, and warm - not hot - days. The thyme is big, bushy, and with beautifully green, moist leaves. The culinary sage even bloomed this spring (it generally blooms once every couple of years)! Lemon balm looks shiny and just so luscious. Roses are prolific this time of year, and the calendulas have been popping up as if we have the perfect conditions... because, for now, we do!
An herbal vignette: feverfew, roses, sage, comfrey, scented geranium, and lemon balm... all 30 feet from my front door!
A bunch of herbal tea ingredients - so pretty!
Some of these herbs I do end up drying for use throughout the year, but some of them are only good fresh. Soooo...
With nights that are still cool, I love herbal teas as I wind down and get ready for a good night's rest. And I'm not the only one: Sunset featured this article in the latest issue, and I found a great BHG article on planting a garden to supply herbal tea. It's a popular sport! My favourite is a mix of lemon balm with calendula flowers and some rose petals: it's beautiful, light, and sets the perfect tone for sweet dreams. A sage leaf or sprig of rosemary two adds some throat-clearing power, without overpowering the brew.
I know some people chop or crush the leaves and petals, but I don't do that. I do use just-off-boiling water, though, and let it steep for about 10 minutes. It's so beautiful in the pot!
A little cup of tea is the perfect accompaniment to a biscotti and a good book before bed. Sweet dreams!
- Elizabeth