- Hey, everyone, it's Cynthia from "Modern Gardener," and I am so excited to convince you today to start an herb tea garden if you haven't already.

(upbeat music) Honestly, if you're not a gardener, this is the way to get into it.

They don't take up much space, and the deliciousness that comes from a hot cup is just what you need every morning.

I have, for example, in my pots right here, my lemon balm and my lemon verbena, my two favorite herbs to grow, but I also have it out all over my garden.

And I'm gonna show you all those spots and how I grow it in just a minute.

But before I do that, I want you to do me a favor, hit that subscribe button, and also be sure to turn on the notifications so that you are aware of all the awesome videos we have coming your way.

(upbeat music) Whether it is drinking a mojito, a mint julep, or just having hot or cold mint tea, mint is a staple in my garden.

It's something I use so often, especially with making my herbal teas.

One thing you're gonna find when you go to a nursery or when you're buying mint, there are so many flavors.

There's chocolate mint, there's pineapple mint, there's apple mint.

For me, personally, I like to stay with a spearmint or a peppermint.

I just find those to be nice and easy, always consistent.

Apple mint though, I do have, and I love it in cold water.

Mint is super easy to grow.

You can start it from seed, you can take it from a start, from a nursery, or you can propagate it by just taking a sprig, putting it in water, strip it down like this, put it in water and it will start to root itself.

It will grow anywhere.

And the greatest part is it's a perennial, so you don't have to worry about constantly planting this every year.

It grows like a weed, so you have to make sure you put it in a corner where it can grow like a weed, or a great way to keep it contained is put into a container and let it grow on your patio.

I love mints that's in the shade.

This mint is a lot more sweeter, has a better flavor than when it's in the bolting hot sun.

Make sure you snip as often as you can to avoid it flowering.

When it flowers, the flavor changes and it's not quite as good as when it is without the flower.

So it's easy to preserve, you can dry it by hanging it upside down.

Or if you like the fresh taste, which I prefer fresh, I will take the leaves off, I will blend it in a blender, make it into a thick paste, put it in ice cube trays, and freeze it so then I have that fresh, summer flavor frozen all winter long to be used.

(gentle upbeat music) I'm in the jungles of my garden, in the very back corner, with the lemon balm.

Lemon balm has a very earthy flavor to it.

I actually like to pair it with a sweeter herb, so like a chamomile, add a little stevia, some apple mint, and it just gives the right little hint of earth tones with a little bit of lemon to it.

It's super easy to grow.

This is one that you start from seed indoors ideally, give it about eight weeks prior to your frost date, and/or you can get it at the nursery.

Just plop it in the ground and watch it grow.

It is part of the mint family.

So what does that mean?

It's gonna take over.

As with other mints, you wanna make sure that you are continually snipping, if you're enjoying it, before it blooms.

I also have to say, I like this lemon balm better when it's in the shade versus my lemon balm, that's in the sun.

It just has a better, sweeter flavor to it.

(upbeat music) What is a zero calorie sweetener that doesn't have any effect on your blood sugar that you can grow in your garden?

Stevia, I love stevia.

My kids actually call this a candy leaf, and they'll just come out here and snack on 'em all day.

Now some people complain that it has a bitter aftertaste, that seems to happen more if you are not snipping your plant all the time.

The more you snip, the bitterness stays away, and the more sweetness you get in your life.

Another great thing about this plant, takes up very little space.

You can plop it anywhere in your garden, or you can put it in a container on your patio.

Unfortunately, it's not a perennial here in Utah.

But every year you can get yourself some stevia, or you can dry it and save it for winter.

(gentle upbeat music) Lemongrass, this herb started as one plant in my garden, and now I think I have about eight.

Even my kids will ask for lemongrass tea all the time.

It is a favorite around here.

The great thing about lemongrass is it's really easy to grow.

It doesn't take a lot of water, it's super drought tolerant.

By July, this is gonna be all plumed over.

You can enjoy this all winter long by doing a few things.

You can dry it, although I have to tell you, I am a fresh person.

I like it fresh, so instead of drying, I generally will cook a big batch and freeze it so I have an all winter, nice, beautiful green tea to drink in the cold.

(upbeat music) This is a lemon verbena.

A lemon verbena has a very bright flavor to it, I don't know how to describe it besides that.

Where lemongrass is kind of more of a warm flavor, lemon verbena is super bright.

It's my go-to for spring and summer when I'm coming outta my winter funk.

Plus, it's a beautiful plant, everyone's gonna love it.

And when you walk by it, it smells heavenly.

All these plants started off as just tiny, little sprigs.

They are not easy to grow from seed, so you gotta make sure that you find it quick in your local garden nursery.

Sometimes it's hard to find, and I think it's because people like me buy up as many lemon verbena plants as they can, so you've gotta make sure that you're quick and fast so you beat me to the punch.

It will grow, and grow, and grow.

And the way you get it to grow like that is make sure you have a lot of sun on it and, most importantly, that you are constantly snipping.

The more you snip, the more it branches.

One thing that is fantastic about lemon verbena is it dries beautifully.

It totally saves its flavor.

Unlike some other teas, like mint, I feel like mint changes its flavor, as does lemongrass.

Lemon verbena will keep its flavor dried or fresh.

Another important thing about lemon verbena, just make sure when you're clipping these, that you are snipping around right at the base of the leaf node, that way it will continue to be very prolific in your garden.

(gentle upbeat music) Another favorite cup that I love and enjoy is a tulsi basil.

There are quite a few varieties of tulsi basil.

It's also known as a holy basil if you see it in your local nurseries around.

I'm starting to see it more and more.

It's not super popular right now in Utah, but it's obviously super popular in places like India.

One of my favorites is the Krishna, also I have Rama, I have Kapoor, and I'm so sad 'cause I have to show you my empty space where the Vana once was.

I'm gonna plant some more today, hopefully, it comes up, but the Vana basil is so good.

So what does it taste like?

It has a clove, a cinnamon flavor.

One of them even has like a tooty-fruity smell, like it is so good.

Even when this plant flowers, it maintains its flavor, so you don't need to be so concerned of constant snipping as you do with other plants.

Now when I harvest it, I will cut it off, I will hang it up to dry, or I'll have a fresh cup.

So how do you grow it?

One of my favorite ways is just start from seed.

Plus, it is great for growing in small containers or in small areas, just make sure you have a lot of sun.

(upbeat music) Chamomile, it is a go-to for anybody that needs that little apple sweetness flavor in their tea.

I like to use German seeds, other people use Roman seeds.

There are so many different varieties, but those are the two most popular ones.

Now here's the deal, I've had lots of people tell me, "My chamomile's bitter," it's because of when you're picking it.

There's a lot of different things that go into chamomile to make it that nice, sweet, and non-bitter flavor.

So looking at this plant, this plant needs to be trimmed.

It needs a lot, there's a lot that have already been spent.

When you're looking at a blossom and when it gets its yellow fuzz all over it, that's gonna be pretty bitter.

Are you ready for this?

There it is, there it is.

That's what you don't want, okay?

Ugh, ugh, that's bad, that's when you don't like chamomile.

But if you pick it when it's just green right there in the center, the pedals have blossomed, that's when you're gonna get the sweet spot.

That's when it's gonna taste like a little apple.

Mhmm, that's it right there.

That's how you know it's good.

Planting chamomile is super easy.

Seeds in the ground come early spring, maybe just a light little bit of soil or no soil at all, just push it down into the ground and it will germinate nicely, or you can also buy starts.

Make sure you plant it in a place where you can let it reseed over and over again, because it is very good at continuing to germinate.

I have chamomile spread all over my garden, one, because I just love the little happy flower, two, I put it next to my bees because my bees love it too.

And I, honestly, find my chamomile is better tasting in the shade than it is in the sun.

Make sure that you're harvesting those blossoms often.

And if you wanna save it for winter, you're just gonna drop the blossom down on a cloth and let it dry for a few days.

Make sure it's nice and dry so it doesn't rot, and then place it in a jar for winter.

It's that easy.

(upbeat music) Lavender, who doesn't love lavender?

All gardeners will totally vouch for having a lavender plant in your yard, just make sure you get the right kind of lavender.

You wanna go for an English variety, a Hidcote or a Munstead, which is what I use, are my favorite kinds for culinary use.

I'm not really like a straight lavender tea drinker, but I do love it when I mix it with chamomile or a chai.

Oh my gosh, it's so good.

The other thing I love, my kids love, is mixing it in with hot chocolate.

So steep at first, and then you add your hot chocolate.

Or I will use lavender to make compound butters where I mix it with aniseed and honey, it is so good.

Lavender is so easy to dry and it tastes great dried or fresh.

So make sure you just snip a bundle, you're gonna tie it and hang it to dry, probably takes about two weeks.

Now as far as growing lavender, you can start it from seed, but you have to be a very patient person, which sometimes I am, but most of the time I'm not.

So what I would recommend is going and buying yourself a start or you can propagate.

By the way, did you know that "Modern Gardener" has a fantastic video all about lavender propagation?

Be sure to check it out.

Unlike our other herbs, you actually are waiting for the flower, but there's a few things to note with the flower.

You don't want it full bloom, you don't want old or spent.

Just as it's barely opening or right before it opens is the best time to get that wonderful, delicious lavender flavor.

If you wanna get a second flush in the fall, make sure that you snip real deep and just a right above a leaf node, that way you'll get another crop coming in the fall.

Another great thing about a lavender plant is it's a perennial, so you won't have to plant this year after year.

Just make sure that you put it in a place that you can keep it, and love it and smell it all summer long.

(upbeat music) I hope you enjoyed that tour as much as I did, and we didn't even talk about infusing the water.

I'll just throw herbs in, 24-hours later, have these beautiful, I put chamomile in here, I put bachelor buttons in here, I put some apple mint tea in here, and a little bit of stevia, and just look at this beautiful, refreshing water that you can get easy with some herbs.

(upbeat music) Mm, sweet and appley, oh, that is so good.

I'm curious, which ones are your favorites?

And I hope you put 'em down in the comments below, and/or if you're interested in a part two.

And now I want you to go forth and plant, and grow, and have yourself your own delicious sip.

(gentle music)