Taking tea at Chelsea
Post categories: RHS Chelsea Flower Show,听herbs
| 07:00 UK time, Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Angelica archangelica
Running a herb farm in the run鈥恥p to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show听is all about multi鈥恡asking.
My Royal Wedding last month was听a brief glimpse of the new Duchess of Cambridge, looking stunning as she walked up the aisle,听in between watering the angelica (Angelica archangelica) and borage (Borago officinalis). The borage听we鈥檙e growing for Bunny Guinness鈥檚 at Chelsea听this year, as well as Marney Hall鈥檚 , and Patrick Collins鈥 . Then I was dashing inside to catch a glimpse of the Royal Wedding procession听in between听blending herbs for the herbal teas I'm launching this year at the show.
Herbal infusions can be made from fresh - if in season - or dried herbs. The fresh version
usually requires a few torn leaves or a 3鈥4cm sprig of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) for
example, with just鈥恇oiled (not boiling) water poured over. Cover and steep for five minutes.
It鈥檚 incredibly satisfying to pick your own tea fresh from the garden and have the aroma
filling your kitchen all within the space of ten minutes.
However, unless you鈥檙e a herb farmer, the odds are slim that you鈥檒l have enough fresh peppermint (Mentha x piperita) or lemon verbena听(Aloysia citriodora) for a daily cuppa. And some herbs make a better tea dried听than fresh - Roman chamomile flowers (Chamaemelum nobile), for example.
Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon citratus)
There are many citrus herbs which make delicious, refreshing and beneficial infusions.
Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) makes an aromatic, spicy lemon tea, but isn鈥檛 easy to
grow in our cooler UK climes: this native of the tropics needs temperatures above 80掳C (480掳F)
to survive, so it鈥檚 best planted in containers so that it can be over wintered in a well
ventilated, frost free environment.
Use a loam based compost, and don鈥檛 allow it to dry out in summer. This plant is happiest when pot bound, so choose a pot which fits snugly around the roots. Harvest fresh leaves in summer to use fresh, or dry them by lying them on a frame covered in muslin which is then placed in a light airy room but not in direct sunlight.
In two weeks the leaves will become crisp and dry; cut them into 2cm lengths, then store in
a clean, airtight container in a dark cupboard and they will keep for 2鈥3 years.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is another citrus herb that dries well for herbal tea and has
been attributed with many health benefits. This plant can be invasive, so plant in a pot and
then sink the pot into the ground.
Another king amongst herbs, both for听a stunning wildflower effect in the garden and for a
reviving herbal tea, is the cornflower (Centaurea cyanus). This hardy annual has a beautiful,
bright blue flower 鈥 much loved by bees and butterflies, so an excellent biodiversity plant.
The petals look beautiful in any dried herb preparation 鈥 tea or pot pourri 鈥 but are best
blended with more flavoursome herbs, such as rosemary or lemon balm.
Now, I鈥檓 off to sort out the angelica again 鈥 it鈥檚 been so windy lately, and the plants are now almost two metres high - so tall听I have to keep moving them to keep them from toppling over!
Jekka McVicar is an organic gardening expert, author and broadcaster. She specialises in the cultivation and use of herbs and runs her own .
Comment number 1.
At 23rd May 2011, Orlando Sports Uniforms wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 2.
At 28th May 2011, koala_girl wrote:I like lemon balm tea in the summer but have never found it very good when dried. I wonder if I am doing something wrong?
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