How to Plant a Tea Garden

Plant a tea garden full of herbs that can be made into your own tea blends; plus enjoy the aroma and freshness. Heres what to plant, where to plant and all the info to maintain your tea garden.

This post contains affiliate links, which means should you click the links and/or purchase something I will receive a commission. This helps to support my blog and provide you with fun, free material. Please read my full disclaimer here.

My day starts pretty much the same every day. I get up and take Jupiter; my Doberman pup out for a quick walk and then I sip on a soothing cup of tea while I start work. It may sound funny, but I look forward to that morning cup of tea every day.

Tea wasn’t always my go-to morning drink. I used to be a coffee every day kinda gal. My morning routine was a little different also; standing in line for my iced vanilla latte checking the time in hopes my coffee needs wouldn’t make me late. Oh, the number of times I walked into work late with a coffee in my hand 🤦🏼‍♀️

Over time my anxiety struggles made it so caffeine wasn’t an option anymore. Every time I had coffee I would have to struggle through panic attacks and all of a sudden, it was really easy to skip that morning coffee.

I went from death before decaf to caffeine and I think I might be dying.

I mourned my daily coffee routine and switched to tea. Every now and then I will get a coffee, but now it’s always decaf. An iced latte on the weekend as a little treat and I, of course, indulge in the holiday flavors.

Let’s hear it for the pumpkin spice lattes! Basic? Maybe, but basically I don’t care, I love them!

Good thing, tea is delicious and there are so many different blends out there to enjoy. It made it pretty easy to switch and I love the slower pace of my morning tea routine. Since I go through, I don’t know how many boxes of tea a month, it occurred to me that planting a tea garden would probably save me money. Not to mention having fresh herbs in the house is so refreshing.

Tea gardens are easy to plant and maintain and if you choose to put your tea garden inside, it adds to the decor of your home. Is there anything better than living decor?

I made a new planter box for my indoor tea garden, but if you want a planter box with a little fun to it, DIY your own herb planter box.

what to plant

Peppermint. This fragrant herb has a strong mint flavor that helps to soothe an upset stomach. It is perennial which means it will last year after year.
Lemon Balm. Technically a part of the mint family, this perennial herb has a slight lemon flavor. Lemon balm helps to calm anxiety and stress.
Lemon Thyme. Another citrusy herb that is easy to grow and delicious in teas. This herb is rich in iron and vitamin c and can help soothe respiratory issues.

Mint. This is essential in any herb garden. There are so many different flavors like spearmint, orange, and chocolate. It is a perennial that grows very easily but will spread if not put in a container.
Chamomile. This is one of the most popular herbs in tea. It helps to calm anxiety, causes sleepiness, and helps with a sore throat. It is also a very dainty flower that is beautiful in the garden.

How to plant

Herbs can be planted by seed or you can purchase starts. Herb starts can be nice because it’s like a little head start to the growth but they are more expensive. Seeds are cheaper but take a little more work.

To grow from seed, sow the seeds just below the surface of the soil and water until the soil is moist but not drenched. You can either sow the seeds right into the garden or container that you wish to keep them in or you can start the seeds in smaller containers, like egg carton or dixie cups and transplant.

Transplant the seedlings once they are about 3 inches tall and have their “true leaves” or the plant’s second set of leaves. They are fuller and bigger than the first set of leaves. This will usually happen after 5-6 weeks.

Important: if you start your seeds indoors under a light and are transplanting the seedlings into a garden, they need to be hardened first.

Once the seedlings have grown to at least three inches tall place them outside in the shade and make sure they will not be in direct sunlight. You are basically getting your seedlings ready to be under the hot sun. After a couple of days of hardening, you can plant them in the garden.

Where to plant

Tea gardens can either be planted in containers or straight in the garden. Containers are most popular for any herb garden because the plants won’t take over your garden. Herbs like mint and lemon thyme grow like weeds and are hard to control.

If you choose to plant in containers they will have to be brought in for the winter. If left outside the plants will get too cold and most likely die. Any perennials planted outside in the garden will die down and come back the next year. Add a little layer of straw over the died down herb plant to ensure it will stay warm and come back the next year.

Herbs thrive in the sun so plant herbs in an area that gets at least 6 hours of sun or if in a container, place in a sunny windowsill.

Maintaining a tea garden

The best part about a tea garden is how easy they are to maintain. Water consistently but allow the topsoil to dry in between watering. If the herbs have brown leaves or look wilted but the soil is moist, it is likely that you are overwatering.

When watering, try to avoid getting the leaves wet, especially if herbs are in the sun a lot. Getting the leaves wet can cause the sun to dry them out.

Pruning the herbs is important for growth, but this will hopefully occur naturally as you harvest the herbs for use, read below for more info on this. Be sure to snip any flowers that pop up from the plant. This encourages leaf growth and gives all the energy to the leaves.

Harvesting a Tea Garden

Harvesting can be done quite often once the herb plant is established and it is good for the plant! It’s just like pruning – promotes growth and will encourage the herb to grow bushier. Think of it as an herb haircut, cutting off those split ends to help with growth.

Harvest the herbs in the morning before the sun has drawn out the natural flavor. Use small pruners or kitchen shears and snip a couple of sprigs off from the top of the plant. It is best to snip right above a leaf node; the point on the stem where a set of leaves is growing.

Once harvested, rinse the herbs with water and place them on a paper towel on the counter or in the sun until they turn very dry. To avoid mold, make sure the herbs are very dry, enough to be crumbled. Store in a glass jar in a cool dry place.

Soures: Fix, Sunset