Saturday, September 17, 2011

HERBAL TEAS

The Herb Garden at the Arboretum is laid out in a circular pattern.  This layout makes it easy to reach herbs from the center crushed gravel walkway.  This is a good pattern to imitate if you are considering putting in an herb garden in your yard so that the herbs are readily accessible for snipping.  Many herbs will grow year round in Pitt County.  Check out this publication for a list of herbs to grow/how to grow them/how to use them:  Growing Herbs for the Home Gardener. 

Are you a tea drinker?  The next few weeks are good times to head out to your herb garden to gather herbs to dry, brew, or store.  This will give your perennial herbs a chance to recover from being cut before our first frost and a chance to gather annual herbs that will be damaged by frost.   You might be familiar with chamomile, mints, and lemon balm teas, but have you tried parsley, rosemary, or dill?  There is often a question of whether or not they have medicinal values.  Click here for an interesting study done at Tuft University:  Reading Herbal Tea Leaves 

Additionally, you can find out how to make herbal tea by reading this: