hyme for Tea 



ing in upon 

 think of a 



B 



The winter 

 us makes 

 friendly chat by the warm 

 fire and a cup of tea. Herbal tea. 



Tea herbs in early America 

 came not only with the European 

 immigrants, but were found grow- 

 ing wild. Eventually, with the 

 guidance of the native Americans, 

 the newcomers adapted the native 

 plants for use with the ones they'd 

 brought. By 1775, after the Boston 

 Tea Party, when our forefathers 

 heaved 342 chests of heavily taxed 

 China tea into the harbor, your 

 patriotism was measured by how 

 much you enjoyed herbal tea. The 

 search for tasty herbs began in ear- 

 nest and a cup of tea was more 

 than just for medicine. 



The colonists had many herbs 

 from which to choose — and no 

 doubt many a strange tasting brew 

 was swallowed before the most 



popular ones were listed in herbals and recipe books to 

 pass along to future generations. Plain meadow hay was 

 tried, juices were squeezed from cornstalks, and sweet va- 

 nilla grass, flavored with maple syrup or honey, made it 

 into the teapot. A dash of rum or brandy sometimes im- 

 proved the flavor and kept one's innards warm against the 

 New England chills. 



Ceanothus americanus, or New Jersey tea, became 

 one of the most popular substitutes for China tea. 

 This little shrub, found growing on gravel coastal 

 slopes from Ontario southward, joined with other na- 

 tive plants — blackberry and raspberry, bee balm 

 {Monarda didyma), elderberry (Samhucus canadensis), 

 wild roses, lemon balm and the American linden tree 

 (Tilia americana), bayberry, sweet fern, and wild gin- 

 ger — to find its way to American tea time. 



The native sassafras {Sassafras albidum) made a 

 pleasant and invigorating tea which the native Ameri- 

 cans enjoyed and shared with the colonists. It became 

 so popular that it made its way to London, where the 

 fashionable drank it for its tonic promise. 



Wintergreen from the woodlands, ground ivy, and cat- 

 nip all foimd their way into blends and mixtures for tea. 



Garden herbs and flowers — dill, fennel, chamomile, 

 violets, borage, calendula, hyssop, peppermints, marjo- 



TANYA JACKSON 



THE PERFECT BREW 



ring to boil a pot of fresh cold 

 water. Rinse a china or pottery 

 tea pot to warm it, then place loose 

 tea leaves or herbs inside. (You can 

 use a tea ball or even a tea bag.) Use 

 about one teaspoon for each cup. 

 Pour boiling water over. Put the 

 cover on the teapot and put a paper 

 towel plug in the spout to keep steam 

 and flavors in. Wrap the teapot in a 

 clean tea towel or cuddle it in a 

 quilted tea cozy. (We once sewed one 

 that looked like a setting hen.) Let 

 the tea brew for 3-5 minutes, longer 

 for some herbs, but not long enough 

 to make it bitter. Serve in china cups. 



ram, lavender — were all called 

 upon to add flavor and comfort 

 to the cup of tea. The garden 

 sage [Salvia officinalis), already a 

 popular seasoning for poultry and 

 other meats, came into demand 

 as an herb tea simply on its own, 

 with a touch of maple syrup to 

 make a cup of perfection. This is 

 still a tradition in some parts of 

 rural Vermont and is said to 

 make one wiser — and who is 

 wiser than a hardy, taciturn "real 

 old Vermonter?" 



Ttf 



of 



promise or a gooa cup 

 tea and the beauty and 

 fragrance of the herbs themselves 

 are good reasons for creating 

 your own Tea Garden. The herbs 

 used are often the plants that at- 

 tract bees and butterflies — an- 

 other good reason! And the help 

 with the pollination of your gar- 

 den and with the production of honey to use for your 

 tea — more good reasons as well! 



I've been growing my own tea herbs for years right 

 in the flower borders, the standard herb garden, and 

 among the vegetables. I've long considered making a 

 "real" tea garden. Most of the herbs used will thrive 

 in ordinary soil with little extra attention. They don't 

 need a rich soil, but they are demanding about a few 

 things. The first is drainage. Most herbs hate wet feet 

 and tea herbs are no exception. Raised beds will 

 help — as will lots of good organic material — shredded 

 leaves, old bark mulch, and, of course, compost. A 

 weed-free area is good — you don't want weeds mixed 

 in with your tea. A dose of limestone is a good idea if 

 you have typical New Hampshire acidic soil. Other 

 than that, plants for tea are easy to grow. 



Most herbal tea plants are perennial, but when you 

 plan your garden, plan for a place that allows seeding 

 of annuals directly into the soil. Patches of red clover, 

 chamomile, and alfalfa, for instance, are easily direct- 

 seeded and don't need much special care. I envision 

 my tea garden backed up against a plot where I can 

 seed these annuals with a line of perennials along the 

 front. Anise hyssop, catnip, garden sage, bee balm, 

 and lemon balm are all perennials that are easy to get 



DECEMBER 1998 JANUARY 1999 



23 



