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I went to Jecca McVicars herb farm on a open day and found that basil leaves makes a very good drink which deals with bloating amonst other things! just by chance I had ordered a basil collection offer from a local paper so cannot wait to try the different kinds
I love mint,camomile and lemon balm has anybody else got any favorites
marg

I love herb teas, but I unfortunately cant use them now. Im on blood thinning meds and have been told by the doc not to drink them any more. I specially liked Lemon Balm as well :(

Verveine! I have a lemon verveine that dries well and makes tasty tea. It's a perennial.
I believe you can make tea from Thyme but I have never tried.

Verveine -  it's wonderful!  I started off with one plant, added another last year, and a third this year.

And I've dried tilleul (is this Linden in England?) this year for the first time - we drastically pruned it five years ago, and this is the first time it has really flowered properly, so I'm making the most of it!

It is important to get the right dose of some herb teas - just right and they are a relaxant, too much and you are hyperactive for hours!   ;D

Anise Hyssop      
Sorry- got carried away there.
It survived everywhere! So this year I'm just growing it nearest the kitchen. Tastes like anise of course and dries well also. Bees like it but we still have no bees in our area sad to say.

Lemon verbena,very delicate and not too composty tasting.

Quote from: markfield rover on June 13, 2008, 11:47:23
Lemon verbena,very delicate and not too composty tasting.

LOL composty tasting!  Great description.
Do you folks combine any herbal teas?

Ahh Grannie A ,that would be a little Whiskey then !

Sage tea is especially good for sore throats: Used in concentrated form (lots of leaves, not a lot of water) it should be gargled at the back of the throat and then spat out.

It's also a general tonic and is good fer the blood & circulation!

just a warning on sage - it should not be drunk by pregnant women or by breastfeeding mums - it is a traditional remedy to dry up milk in mothers who have lost babies  :(

lemon balm makes nice tea but it is a mild diuretic (and good for your skin as it often makes you sweat a bit!!!)

thanks for the rely,s ! I have made a list. must say I could do with something making me hyperactive at the moment ;D
have tried sage in teabag form and felt rather sick :'( maybe fresh would be better I,m nearly 61 so don,t think the warning applies to me. I agree that you do have to be carefull as herbs were the original drugs, well yes some still are arn,t they? isn,t lindon a tree? have to do some research
marg

dill tea, made from the seeds, is very soothing

Sorry for the silly question, but how do you make these teas? Dry leaf/flower? How much to use etc - I would like to try this but don't know how! :(

The way I do it -  lemon verbena ,take 3or 4 fresh leaves place in a cup pour on boiling water leave for 4 or 5 mins remove leaves or not that goes for greenfly too, then drink, good cold .

Quote from: Zoglet on June 13, 2008, 17:47:04
Sorry for the silly question, but how do you make these teas? Dry leaf/flower? How much to use etc - I would like to try this but don't know how! :(

This brought a smile and a memory of strongback tea which a Bahamian fisherman was describing. We had never heard of it so he excused himself and went outside with a machete, hacked at a large bush, came back in the house with a branches, put water in a metal coffee pot,uncerimoniously rammed the leafy branches into the pot and lit the stove leaving most of the branches sticking out the top. After a good boil he poured some mugs and that was that. Strongback tea.

Marge - yes Linden is a tree, it grows very big. We have just harvested here, but I guess if you can find one in your area harvesting will be in a week or so?  The harvesting period is short, just when the flowers are out, and is usually fun because if you time it right, the bees will be out in full force looking for the pollen as well!

For the linden, I  collect the flowers and the two tender transparent leaves that grow just beside the flowers, dry for a couple of weeks somewhere warm and dry on a clean cloth (mine are on the dining room table!).  Then keep in a dark cool place.

For the verveine, I strip the leaves off the plant once in July, cutting the stalks back, and the plant regrows again for harvesting again late October. But maybe we're spoilt down here!  Again, dry on a clean cloth and keep in a cool dark place.

I imagine, but don't know, that this is the way to do it with other plants.

thankyou linsay might not ever get to try lindon, can,t see me shinning up a tree in the local park ;D I love elderflower though the bushes are covered with it at the moment, just snap the flower off (wash it) and pour boiling water on and give it a few minuts
marg