Tea Ideas, Tips & Guides

There’s nothing quite as British as a nice cup of tea, and sitting down for a good cuppa can certainly brighten up your day. A tea bush is unlikely to thrive in most UK gardens (although there are a couple of tea plantations) because of the climate, but there are plenty of herbs that are easy to grow and make a refreshing brew. They’ll even grow well in containers – so they make ideal plants for a windowbox or a patio. Having them close at hand means you can harvest leaves as and when you need them.

One of the things Ryan and I like to do is sit and make a cup of tea in the garden, for which we use a Kelly Kettle that can quickly boil water using very little fuel (even in inclement weather). We’ll enjoy it even more when the garden is finished and we have somewhere to sit!

I’m sure my parents didn’t know when they named me (and still don’t!), but Emma is the Tibetan word for a spice – the dried berries of Zanthoxylum species, more commonly known in the UK as Sichuan pepper. I really must replace the two species I had, which didn’t survive life on the allotment.

Following on from our first foray into cooking on the new frontier stove, we found we had plenty of heat left in the fire and decided to make a cup of tea. There is an attachment you can buy (although it’s not readily available at the moment, and costs around £100) to turn the stove chimney into a water heater. That would keep the flat of the stove free for cooking while you heat the water. But there’s also a metal plate you can remove to give a pan or a kettle direct access to the fire.

Last week’s outdoor ‘cooking’ experiment didn’t involve lighting a fire – I relied on solar power!

I can’t decide how I feel about Matcha. On the one hand, it’s a fun plant product with a lot of history and ritual, and on top of that it’s supposed to be healthy. When you open the packet you’re confronted with a lovely jade green powder, packed with possibilities.

On Saturday my garden went from this:

Work has started on the hard landscaping for the garden – a large patio, paths and hard standing for two sheds (or a shed and a greenhouse) will appear soon. We’ve had to move everything out of the way for the work to be done, and the garden is more or less unuseable. It won’t be long until it’s finished, but a couple of days ago Ryan and I decided we were going to make tea in the garden anyway.

When my box of goodies arrived from Indigo Herbs last week, I knew what I wanted to make with them – a fruity tea loaf for Ryan. Ryan loves dried fruit, me not so much (although I am learning!), and he polished off my last tea loaf really quickly. I wanted to know what it would taste like with some less common ingredients – hemp tea, hemp seed, and dried mulberries.

If you have trouble sleeping from time to time, then there are plants you can grow in your garden that will give you a helping hand. Whether you sew them into a scented sleep pillow or brew them into a relaxing cup of tea, these herbs are all easy to grow favourites.

ESA’s ESTEC (European Space Research and Technology Centre) held their annual open day over the weekend. One of the projects on display was part of the MELiSSA (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative) project, which is investigating ways to use microbiological cells, chemicals, catalysts, algae, bacteria and plants to process waste and deliver continuous supplies of oxygen, water and food.

Soon, your morning coffee might feel a little different: Dunkin' Donuts seems to be breaking into the alcohol business, with a whole new line of spiked coffees and teas.

Tea leaves contain around 4.15 percent nitrogen and other nutrition that nourish the soil. They also improve the soil structure and increase drainage. Also, the tannic acid in tea leaves can mildly change and lower your soil pH, just like coffee grounds.

I love the formal Hybrid Tea Roses like ‘Just Joey‘. Just Joey is a hybrid, bred from Fragrant Cloud and Dr A J Verhage.

Modern tea gardens may seem to be a contradiction but since the 15th century the wabi tea ceremony has influenced the tea gardens purpose and design. Originally when tea plants (Camellia sensi) were introduced into Japan from China in the 6th century they were the prerogative of the ruling classes and used expensive ingredients and equipment.

First introduced in the 19th century the lineage of Hybrid Tea roses goes back to crossing or hybridising a tea rose with a hybrid perpetual rose. The first example was supposedly ‘Madame Bravy’ x ‘Madame Victor Verdier’ but many more have followed to great acclaim. One such was a rose called ‘Peace’ which has sold, under several marketing names, over 100 million plants world wide.

This beautiful red tea is not overly sweet and offers a big ginger punch. Great for parties or an afternoon tea for one!

Iced tea has been on the menu since the 1870s. What made the iced tea novel wasn’t the tea but the ice, which was quite a luxury back then. Tea is rich in polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant. These wonderful nutrients hunt for cell-damaging free radicals in the body and detoxify them.

Tea leaves can be boon for the plants if used in the right way. Check out these amazing Used Tea Leaves Uses in the Garden!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Red raspberry leaf is a delicious herb with a ta

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Growing chamomile for

One extremely floriferous HT Rose that does not have blooms the size of dinner plates is the Laura Anne Hybrid Tea Rose

Banana peels contain 42% potassium and approximately 3% phosphorus, along with nutrients like calcium, iron, and magnesium. This makes them incredibly efficient for plants to grow well. Let’s look at how you can make Banana Peel Tea quickly.

Fertilizing gardens can be costly, especially if you are an organic grower. And even fertilizers labeled organic may contain some undesirable chemicals. They are also packaged in plastic, made in factories, and shipped long distances.Finding truly sustainable, healthy, and

In our gardens we often had Tiarella and Heuchera, This is the first time we have had a go at Heuchella. To state the obvious, it is a cross between the two. Heucherella Sweet Tea adds a fantastic foliage contrast to the other plants.

Eggs are useful for you and Eggshells–for the garden, you may know it already. But if you’re not convinced yet, this eggshell tea therapy for plants will convince you for sure.

So, when you were enjoying that hot cup of tea in the morning, did you think what might be its type? Well, there are more varieties of tea than you can think of! Nothing relaxes one out like a hot cup of tea. But as there are are many types of tea leaves, how to pick the best one out? This article will help you to choose the best from different Types of Tea Leaves!

A refreshing cup of tea is all you need after a hard day’s work, and what could be more beneficial than having healthy ingredients in it! Here are the Best Tea Herbs to Make a Tea Herb Garden for good health!

Calendula, Calendula officinalis, aka pot marigold, is an annual flowering herb in the aster family that’s suited to cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 11.We link to vendors to help you find releva

Promoting a healthy lifestyle, we bring you the best Essential Ingredients You Can Grow in Your Balcony for Powerful Tea that will help you in your day to day life.

When it comes to fertilizers, there are a wide array of options available. If you want a cheap alternative that works really well, then try making Liquid Grass Clipping Tea Fertilizer using the help of this guide!

The tasty citrus flavor and gentle character of this abundant and easy-to-grow herb make lemon verbena perfect for the entire family to enjoy as an infusion.Kids and elders alike can benefit from the brigh

Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, is a staple in my herb garden for a few reasons.Firstly, this easy-to-grow aromatic plant provides plentiful harv

It’s Sunday morning, and you are sipping a cup of tea, when (suddenly) the handle slips a little, and oh no, the tea is spilled all over your clothes.

There’s nothing like starting your day with coffee or tea in your favorite mug. But if your mug is stained and sad looking, it can deflate your mood as well as that caffeine kick just as easily.

Tea tree oil is known all over the world for its numerous health benefits, including its acne-fighting ability.