From Tea to Shining Tea

Most people can remember, in detail, the moment they fell in love. I know I can. It began in a tiny, back-street shop in San Francisco where my daughter and I were buying a cover for her futon.

In a motion to finalize the sale, the shop owner’s sister emerged from the back of the store with a black lacquer tray holding handleless cups of fragrant jasmine and honeysuckle tea. We cradled the cups in the palms of our hands, smiling at one another through the rising steam.

I was in love--with tea.

Returning home to Orange, I dug a 3-foot circular bed around the base of our birdbath. I planted a trellis of jasmine, four kinds of mint and three scented geraniums--my first “tea garden.”

Years later I’m still discovering the myriad flowers and herbs that can be used for making tea.

Enjoyed the world over, herbal teas are touted for their medicinal value. It is said that they can ease conversation, restore sleep, calm a cold, refresh the spirit at the end of the day and are a great solution for those avoiding caffeine.

The black tea we all know is the fermented leaves of the Camellia sinensis, cousin to the familiar garden camellia, Camellia japonica, says Helen Gustafson, tea guru for Chez Panisse in Berkeley and author of “The Agony of the Leaves: The Ecstasy of My Life With Tea” (Henry Holt and Co., $23).

So, you may wonder, can I grow the Camellia sinensis in my garden?

“Herbal tea is the only tea you can grow in your backyard,” Gustafson says.

Growing Tea

Although a tea garden is simple to create, with more than 400 plants to choose from, it’s easy to get carried away. Begin with six or eight plants, then introduce a few new choices each year and discover what teas please your palate.

“Most herbs have four basic needs--sunlight, a loose, fast-draining medium, water and good soil,” says Diane Weber, resident herbalist at Roger’s Gardens, Corona del Mar. “Herbs are undemanding when it comes to food and do best in well-amended soil that provides essential nutrients and allows for slower, steadier growth.”

Too much fertilizer results in larger plants at the expense of flavor.

At Lingle’s Herbs, a retail supplier of organic herbs and rare plants in Long Beach, a moderate amount of blood meal, bone meal, fish emulsion, composted chicken manure and liquid seaweed is applied on a rotating schedule. Owner John Lingle gives herbs a good feeding in early spring, then a light dose every other month throughout the growing season.

Mediterranean in their ancestry, most herbs prefer a drier condition than you might imagine. The goal is to supply moisture when they’re growing and back off during the herbs’ dormant stage.

“Pests are very rarely a problem,” Weber says.

With the herbs’ volatile oils and pronounced fragrance, they pretty much take care of themselves.

When choosing herbs for a tea garden, Weber suggests envisioning how they will look when full-sized. Tall varieties should go in the rear of the garden, against fences or walls. Medium-sized herbs are planted next. Low-growing varieties are great around the garden’s edges.

“And don’t let a lack of space stop you,” she continues. “Use containers on decks and patios; or grow mint, rosemary, thyme or scented geraniums on a windowsill.”

Harvesting

Gustafson thinks that carefully dried herbs will result in teas with more intense flavor than those made with fresh herbs, which yield a more delicate taste. “It is always better to use fresh herbs directly from the garden,” she says. “That’s one of the lovely things about the home garden: You have complete control in dealing with freshness.”

Your tea’s flavor may vary depending on the time of day you harvest your herbs.

“Never gather the leaves and blossoms during the heat of day when the sun dissipates their moisture content and alters the intensity of their essential oils,” Weber says. “And don’t harvest on wet days, since they tend not to dry out as well and may mildew.”

Instead, stroll through the garden, basket and clippers in hand, in early morning after the dew has evaporated, when flower buds are just opening and the flavor of the leaves is at its peak. And harvest only the amount to be used that day.

You can harvest annual and perennial herbs from early spring through fall. But don’t cut plants back too hard when harvesting; allow them to recover and produce a new crop.

When cleaning up the late-season garden, give plants their final pruning well before the first frost to assure their survival through winter. More weather-tolerant herbs such as sage and thyme will continue supplying you with fresh growth year-round.

Drying

After you’ve collected plant material at the proper time of day, check for pests, diseases and damaged parts. If plants are full of dust or covered with garden soil, clean them with a quick, cool rinse and gently pat dry to protect the plants’ essential oils. Separate heads into individual flowers or petals and lay on screens. To dry foliage, strip all the leaves from the bottom half of the stalks and hang upside-down in bundles.

Plants should be dried in a dark, warm and well-ventilated place, such as an attic or garden shed. Dry herbs away from one another so their fragrances do not mingle.

If using screens, turn several times the first few days to speed the process and discourage mold. Then cover with a thin layer of cheesecloth or muslin until herbs are crisp and dry. Clip individual leaves from their stalks with sharp scissors for storage.

Storing

“Storing tea is like storing a fine spice,” Gustafson says. “Tea will keep a peak shelf life of only about six months. Keep them in airtight tins or containers with top clamps and place in a cool, dark cupboard.”

Avoid glass jars because they allow in light, which will break down the plants’ oils and rob them of flavor.

Check during the first few days to make sure no moisture is inside the container. If it is, allow additional drying time. Label plants clearly so there will be no confusion later.

Brewing Tea

What Gustafson refers to as the “agony of the leaves” is the writhing, swirling action of loose leaves as they begin to unfurl when immersed in boiling water.

“The ‘agony’ results when the freshly boiled water comes in contact with the flavor cells of the tea leaves,” Gustafson says. “They are opened and released to circulate in the pot. That’s where you get the flavor.”

More of what you need to know:

* The green, leafy part of the plant becomes tea through infusion--pouring boiling water over the herb and letting it steep (the resulting brew also is referred to as a tisane).

Bring fresh, cold water to a boil and remove from heat. Add one heaping teaspoon of dried herb or three heaping teaspoons of fresh herb to every 6 ounces of water (the fluid amount of a regular teacup). Cover and let steep for five to 10 minutes, or to taste. For stronger tea, allow more material, not a longer brewing time.

* A decoction is the method for making a beverage from seeds, roots and barks. “A decoction is boiled,” Gustafson says. “Whatever is put into the water is reduced or concentrated by boiling. We never serve decoctions as tea in the restaurant as they have a tendency to turn bitter. They are much more intense and are most often used medicinally.”

At the Table

Purists prefer to take their herbal teas straight; others add a touch of citrus peel, spices or honey. “Adding milk or sugar changes the delicate color and flavor and even alters the tea’s perfume,” says Patricia Smith, owner of Tea for Two, a tea accouterment shop in Laguna Beach. If anything is to be added, perhaps a drop or two of honey or swish of cinnamon stick.

Don’t limit yourself to infusing only one herb at a time. Create blends by mixing herbs from the garden or try using your favorite black tea as a base and add lavender flowers, rosebuds or some invigorating rosemary leaves.

Tea Garden Standards

Below are some of the experts’ choices for tea gardens. Remember, never pick plants for tea that have been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides. And any teas made from pollen-rich flower heads, such as chamomile, should always be approached with caution by the allergy-prone.

* Wandering mints. “Mints likes to sprawl,” Weber says. “To control them, take a huge plastic bucket, saw out the bottom and dig a big hole. Sink the bucket down in the ground, leaving a small ridge just above the soil. Fill it back up with well-worked soil and plant the mint in its center. When the mint starts to creep and send out underground shooters, it’s confined.”

Peppermint, Mentha piperita, is probably the most popular tea herb in the U.S. Spearmint, Mentha virida, is commonly known as garden mint, and is milder than peppermint. There are many other commonly available mint varietals that make delightful flavored teas.

* Comforting chamomile. Chamomile is one of the oldest and most favored selections for herbal tea. There are two kinds: German chamomile, Matricaria recutita, is an annual and the one commonly used for tea. Roman chamomile, Chamaemelum nobile, makes a fragrant, perennial garden plant and a stronger, though less palatable, brew.

“In preparing chamomile tea, over-steeping will produce a bitter, unpleasant taste,” Gustafson says. “Steeping a combination of equal parts chamomile and spearmint or lemon balm will give a more fruity, smooth tea.”

* Lovely lemon balm. Once used as a lucky love charm and cure for mad dog bites in the Middle Ages, Melissa officinalis is also called “bee pepper” for its believed ability to keep bees confined to their honey-making duties. A member of the mint family, it tends to run rampant and is best suited in pots. Use fresh in herbal infusions; the leaves tend to lose their volatile oils during drying.

* Exotics. Lingle says Moujean, Nashia inaguensis, is the most incredible tea plant he has ever encountered. “A small shrub from Jamaica, its tiny fresh leaves are steeped into a tisane that tastes exactly like Earl Grey tea.”

What gives Earl Grey its aroma is actually the rind from the bergamot orange. “The inherent taste of Moujean is bergamot,” Lingle adds. A slow grower, it reaches a height of about 18 inches and does best in partial shade.

Fruit Sage, Salvia dorisiana, is a tender perennial that reaches a height of 3 to 4 feet and thrives in Southern California. A good candidate for containers, the large, bushy plant produces heart-shaped, lime green leaves and is a great attraction for butterflies. Its taste is a blend of pineapple and mango, with a hint of spearmint.

* Sweet stevia. Stevia rebaudiana is 10 to 15 times sweeter than table sugar but without the calories. Its leaves can be used fresh or dried (once dried, they will keep indefinitely).

There’s More

Below are additional selections for your tea garden:

* Anise Hyssop, Agastache foeniculum, is a hardy perennial that attracts butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden with its lovely purple flower spikes and aniseed-scented foliage. A good combination with lemon balm in the teapot.

* Bergamot, Monarda didyma, is an herb of many names--”monarda,” “bee balm” and “Oswego tea.” A handsome perennial that can reach a height of 3 feet, the leaves add a delicious orange aroma to tea blends. The plants’ stunning profusion of red flowers keep their color beautifully when dried. Likes semi-shade.

* Calendula, Calendula officials--also known as “garden marigold,” “pot marigold” and “poor man’s saffron”--offers a mildly flavored tea and an interesting color contrast when mingled with paler herbs. Calendula is a hardy annual reaching a height of about 2 feet with large daisy-like, light yellow or deep orange flowers that open in the early morning and close at dusk.

* Jasmine, Jasminum sambac or “Arabian jasmine,” is a hardy vine with clusters of intensely fragrant tubular white flowers traditionally used for tea. Caution: Only Arabian jasmine can be ingested. The common garden varieties of Jasmine (Gelsemium sempervierens) and Jessamine (Sestrum spp.) are poisonous.

* Lavender, Lavandula spp., is said to have been kept by Queen Victoria to fill the castle with its exotic scent. Lavender likes a dry, sunny location in the garden, though it will tolerate semi-shade. Take first cuttings of the long flowering stalks in spring, trim by taking second cuttings in summer after flowering.

English lavender and other species are used to soothe headaches, help insomnia and settle the stomach. Both leaves and flowers add a sweet and pronounced taste to tea blends.

* Lemon grass, Cymbopogon citratus--also known as “Sereh”--is a tall, grass-like perennial with sharp-edged leaves that grow in large clumps. In full sun, it can reach a height of 4 feet.

Lemon grass has a wonderful lemony taste and adds a nice complexity when brewed with other herbs such as lemon verbena, mint or thyme. Used fresh or dried, the stem is cut close to the whitish, bulbous root where so much of the flavor lies.

* Lemon verbena, Aloysia triphylla, is a tender perennial that likes full sun. Enjoyed for its smell, which resembles a lemon drop, its leaves dry very quickly and easily. It is said to have sedative properties and can ease indigestion.

* Sage, Salvia officinalis, is a perennial that enjoys either sun or partial shade. Fresh or dried, the leaves add a nice depth to blends of milder-tasting herbs. Sage is believed by many to restore loss of memory and to help soothe an upset stomach.

* Roses, Rosa spp., make an elegant addition to the teapot. The vitamin C-rich fruit of the rose--the hip--is most often brewed.

According to Stu Span, rosarian at Roger’s Gardens, the Rosa rugosa ‘Hansa’ is among the best of Southern California selections for rose hip production and fragrant, deep red petals. Remove the bitter, whitish base of the petals before using. Harvest hips in late fall when the plant goes dormant so you don’t affect the rose’s ability to flower. Pick hips when they are full and red, cut in half and scoop out and discard seeds and pulp. Dry shells on screens as with flower heads.

* Scented geraniums, Pelargonium spp., have aromatic leaves and tiny flowers. Although you can grow them from seed, cuttings are much more reliable. Plant close to the garden path so they can be brushed against to release their scent. A perennial in Southern California, the most popular species is the ‘Rose’ geranium.

* Sweet cicely, Myrrhis odorata, has sweet, anise-like leaves that can be picked at any time of year; its Latin name means “fragrant perfume.”

A hardy perennial that can reach a height of 3 feet, its long taproot does not do well in containers. Collect seeds when green and mix crushed with the seeds of fennel, or flowers of lavender, rose or calendula. A brew from the leaves or crushed seed is believed to stimulate the appetite.

* Thyme, Thymus vulgaris, was revered by Kipling, who wrote “wind-bit thyme that smells of dawn in Paradise.” All varieties are hardy perennials that love sun, adapt well to containers and prefer somewhat poor soil.

Feed and water this drought-loving plant only when needed. Keep thyme pinched back to promote new growth and keep the plant from becoming woody. The pungent leaves are used medicinally to calm the nerves and alleviate indigestion.

Lemon Thyme, Thymus x citriodorus, boasts a delightful scent of lemon and spice and is used to relieve colds and sore throats.

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Five Golden Rules

For a perfect cup of tea, follow these steps for infusing your herb leaves and flowers. The more fragrant herbs are steeped about five minutes; milder leaves and flowers may need as long as 20 minutes.

1. Rinse out teapot with very hot or boiling water.

2. For each cup of tea, place one teaspoonful of tea, plus “one for the pot,” directly into the teapot.

3. In a teakettle, bring cold water that has run for a minute or two (to become fully aerated) to the boiling point and pour over tea in teapot.

4. Allow tea to infuse for the proper length of time.

5. Stir tea slightly before serving.

Recipes

* Helen Gustafson of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, author of “The Agony of the Leaves: The Ecstasy of My Life With Tea” (Henry Holt and Co., $23), shares her favorite concoction:

“I adore lemon verbena and ginger root with fresh Meyer lemon. Take a tiny bit of garlic and one tablespoon of roughly peeled and cut fresh ginger. Put in a mug with a squirt of lemon and pour boiling water over it. You can add a little honey to smooth it out. I use it as a wonderful pick-me-up or as an aid for digestion.”

Another winning Chez Panisse blend is blackberry and hyssop. “Blackberry is very sweet, and hyssop has a peppery taste,” Gustafson says. “President Clinton loved it when he surprised us with a visit a few years ago.”

A traditional Indian recipe Gustafson refers to as “Egyptian Tea” is made by slightly crushing one fresh cardamom pod and adding it to one-half pound of ordinary Earl Grey tea. Let the flavors marry in a sealed tin for as long as a month. Serve iced on warm evenings.

“It’s divine,” Gustafson says. “When I first served it to our chef, Jean Pierre, he put down his big basket of fish and said, in his heavy accent, ‘Oh, Helen. That is a tea.’ ”