Custom cuppa: Grow your own fragrant herbal teas

No more dusty tea bags for hip grow-your-owners, who are planting their own tea gardens of aromatic and refreshing leaves. Why not get growing and create your own personalised tea blend?

10 HERBS FOR YOUR TEA GARDEN

1. Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla): a graceful and deliciously fragrant shrub.
2. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis): good on its own or with chamomile.
3. All the mints (Mentha spp.): utterly refreshing, especially mixed with a pinch of Ceylon or China tea.
4. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): bracing stuff - snip it into a cup of beef tea (ie Bovril).
5. Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile): the most soothing of teas, traditionally planted as a lawn, but makes a lovely fragrant cushion in a large pot or trough.
6. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare): bruise the seeds to make a pleasant aniseed-flavoured digestive tea.
7. Fever tea (Lippia javanica): a fragrant indigenous shrub traditionally used as tea to treat coughs and colds and a host of other complaints, and also as a general tonic.
8. Bergamot (Monarda didyma): its fragrant oil is the secret of Earl Grey - try adding a few fresh leaves to China tea.
9. Wild ginger (Tetradenia riparia): a beautiful indigenous shrub with velvet ginger-scented leaves.
10. There are lots of lemon-scented herbs here, but a lemon tree is always a useful addition to the tea garden.

WHERE TO PLANT TEA HERBS

Most tea herbs can be grown in containers and some even on windowsills. In winter it’s great to have herbs indoors to snip without running out into the freezing night to pick them, but they do grow best in large pots or out in the garden, if you have one. Pick a bunch daily to have at hand in the kitchen, for early morning tea and cooking of an evening.

HOW TO BREW YOUR OWN CUSTOM CUPPA

If you’re a dedicated sipper of Ceylon, rooibos, green or China tea, you can still add a fresh leaf or two to give your cup an added lift and it’s fun to experiment with different combinations. Sweeten with honey if you like.

Flavour depends on the quantity of leaves you use for your infusion and how long you allow it to steep or brew — at least five minutes, but not more than 15, is a basic guide.

Note: Always consult your doctor before trying herbal remedies.