Teas, Tinctures and Herbal Connections

I was inspired to start a ‘tea patch’ on my plot by a tea garden I saw at Gardener’s World Autumn Fair in 2024, so it felt like I had come full circle when I saw Frances Tophill, gardener and herbal enthusiast, was doing a talk about teas and tinctures at this year’s event. When we think about plants in the garden, it’s often in terms of colour, flavour, or the joy of watching something grow, but Frances spoke about how plants can also become part of our daily rituals through teas, tinctures, and other herbal preparations. Beyond gardening, this is about deepening our relationship with nature.

Herbal Teas: Simple, Fresh and Restorative

One of the most accessible ways to connect with plants is by making tea. As Frances says, “Tea is a nice way of connecting with plants in a different way. Another layer of connection. It’s not just about growing, maintaining, and cultivating, but engaging with nature.”

My favourite fresh leaf teas are:

Nettle – the nettle leaves are best picked in spring before the plants flower. Choose the tips of the young leaves for a fresh, mineral-rich brew.

Mint – peppermint is considered the most medicinal, soothing digestion and refreshing the senses, but for me nothing beats a sweet Moroccan mint tea. 

Lemon verbena and lemon balm – fragrant, uplifting, and calming. Especially good as a gentle evening tea.

For dried blends, you can also use:

Rosemary - stimulating and aromatic

Hyssop - a traditional respiratory herb

Lime flower - calming, often used to ease tension

Valerian root - renowned for relaxation and sleep

Echinacea root - good for immune support

Note: roots are often best prepared as a decoction which means simmering slowly to draw out their deeper medicinal properties.

Tinctures: Preserving Plant Power

Tinctures are essentially concentrated herbal extracts, made by steeping herbs in alcohol. Just a few drops on the tongue can deliver the plant’s active properties quickly and effectively. Alcohol is especially good at extracting medicinal compounds, but for those avoiding it, tinctures can also be made with glycerine or sugar syrup.

Some classic tincture ingredients include:

Rosehips – packed with vitamin C.

Elderberries – traditionally used for immune health.

Damsons, sloes, and hawthorn – rich in antioxidants.

The above ingredients can also be blended with supportive herbs for a real boost:

Rosemary - antifungal and stimulating

Thyme - antimicrobial

Mugwort - often linked with vivid dreaming!

Ginger and turmeric - warming and anti-inflammatory

Echinacea and calendula - immune and skin-supportive (calendula also makes for as superb skincare ingredient)

So, whether you’re steeping a cup of fresh nettle tea or bottling a tincture of elderberries, each sip and drop is a reminder that plants are more than just something we grow… they can be our partners in wellbeing and connection.