How to Create a Tea Garden

A Cup of Tea

Ever brewed a hot cup of tea and wondered how to recreate it from your garden? A tea garden is a lovely way to get a steady supply of your favorite tea flavors right at home. Whether you’re interested in recreating your favorites or learning to grow your own blends, this article will show you how to create a tea garden.

What is a tea garden?

A tea garden features herbs, plants, and flowers that are commonly harvested and dried for use in tea. According to the New York Times, tea gardens date back to ancient times, and were originally grown for medicinal purposes.

Tea gardens can have all kinds of appearances, from cozy cottage gardens to idyllic Japanese garden-inspired designs. These versatile gardens can be as small as a windowsill container garden or as big as a full plot in your backyard, and they can include many different varieties of plants based on your personal taste.

Benefits of a tea garden

Tea gardens serve plenty of functions in your landscape. These themed gardens allow you to save money at the grocery store while creating a charming garden ambiance that will easily complement your herb garden or edible landscape. Easy-to-grow plants also make tea gardens a great fit for beginners and DIY enthusiasts with an interest in growing herbs and flowers.

Like many commercial tea blends, tea gardens often feature plants that are known for their herbal remedy properties, so your garden can also offer some homegrown health benefits to aid your immune system. Common tea herbs like peppermint, echinacea, and lemon verbena are said to help with issues like sore throats, blood pressure, indigestion, and insomnia.

As a plus, the sweet-smelling flowers and fresh herbs common in tea gardens will attract pollinators like butterflies and bumblebees, which is great for the rest of your garden and for the environment.

Supplies for a tea garden

Here’s what you’ll need to create your own tea garden:

  • Flowers, herbs, and plants for tea
  • Garden soil
  • Raised beds (if planting in your yard)
  • Pots and containers

How to create a tea garden

Ready to create your own tea garden? Follow these steps to build the soothing garden of your dreams. 

Select your plants

The best tea garden plants will suit both your climate and your palate, so start by brainstorming your favorite flavors. Soothing Roman chamomile and German chamomile can grow like crazy in backyard gardens across the country, while hibiscus will provide refreshing flavor in gardens with tropical climates.

If you don’t prefer an herbal infusion, you’re looking for Camellia sinensis – the true tea plant. This powerful plant is responsible for many classic varieties of tea, from black tea and green tea to oolong and beyond.

Prepare your soil

Once you’ve picked out the perfect blend of plants, get your garden ready for them. Select an area with full sun and well-drained soil so your garden can thrive. Clear out any weeds to make room for your plants. 

Soil quality needs are different for different plants – lavender, for instance, will taste better if it’s grown in poor soil. Chamomile and mint, however, need high quality soils to thrive. Amend your yard with extra garden soil or compost as necessary.

Plant with purpose

When the soil is ready, it’s time to plant your tea garden – but do so wisely! Some tea herbs can become invasive, such as bee balm and certain mint varieties, so keep them in containers if you choose to add them to your garden.

Trying to grow a classic tea plant? Camellia sinensis is used to the high humidity of its native climates in Asia, so plant it near a light-colored wall or structure for extra heat, and consider adding a misting system.

Tend to your tea plants

Once they’re set up in your garden, your plants will need regular care and watering to make sure they grow. You won’t get any tea from unhealthy plants!

The different herbs common in tea gardens have different needs, so take care to tend to each plant. Mint prefers its soil a little moist, so it’s time to water if the soil is dry at one inch deep. Lavender and chamomile, however, are drought-tolerant, and can go long periods without watering.

How to harvest tea from your tea garden

Ready to start brewing tea fresh from the garden? The Farmers’ Almanac suggests harvesting herbs before they flower to ensure the best flavor. Of course, this doesn’t apply to tea flowers like hibiscus, chamomile, or lavender!

Follow these steps to ensure a bountiful tea harvest:

  1. Pick plants in the morning, after dew has dried but before noon
  2. Brush off any dirt gently rather than washing it. You want your plants to dry, not grow mold!
  3. If you want to dry your herbs by hand, create small bunches and hang them in a dry spot out of direct sunlight to ensure they dry evenly. Your tea plants should be good enough to drink in about a week. Need them quickly or live in a humid climate where air drying might be difficult? Proceed to step four.
  4. If you’re looking for a quick turnaround, dry your herbs in the oven on low or in an air fryer. This might create a less intense flavor than the old-fashioned way, but it’s an easier way to create a consistent yield.
  5. Store your dried tea plants in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place.

The average cup of tea will use anywhere from one teaspoon to one tablespoon of dried plants. Don’t have any tea bags handy? A tea strainer or tea ball will keep your cup clean. 

Tips for decorating your tea garden

After you have your tea garden established, there are plenty of fun ways to decorate it. Here are some ideas to take your garden to the next level.

Add some tea-inspired touches

Teatime is a popular motif in garden decor, so accenting your garden with tea-inspired hardscaping elements is a fun and easy way to elevate it. Keep an eye out for teacup and teapot-shaped planters, as well as garden statues that feature characters cozying up with hot cups of tea. 

Looking to enjoy your tea garden to the fullest? An outdoor bistro set of wire-wrought chairs and a tidy table will allow you to take your tea while surrounded by the garden that created it.

Create a soothing scene

The fragrant edible plants in a tea garden lend themselves perfectly to a meditative garden escape. Add some immersive sensory garden elements with wind chimes or suncatchers. A water feature with a footbridge will give your tea garden the sweet sounds of a babbling brook.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Is tea healthy?

A. Yes, tea has myriad proven health benefits. Its antioxidants help fight off cancer and reduce inflammation.

Q. What conditions are needed for tea plants to thrive?

A. Tea plants like warm, moist climates that get at least 50 inches of rain annually. Tea also likes acidic soil. It does not do well in highly alkaline soil.

The final word

A tea garden is a lovely way to create an edible garden with historic roots, but don’t get into hot water trying to decide the best way to design one in your yard. Whether you’re brainstorming the perfect plants or trying to incorporate a complex garden design, our landscaping pros are just a call or click away to help.

Main photo credit: Burst | Pexels

Annie Parnell

Originally from the Washington, D.C., area, Annie Parnell is a freelance writer and audio producer based in Richmond, Virginia. She is passionate about gardening, outdoor recreation, sustainability, and all things music and pop culture.