Tea Gardening for Beginners: Learn to Grow, Blend, and Brew Your Own Tea At Home

8/29/2022

Pretty Basic, No Real Plant Photos

Tea Gardening For Beginners: Learn To Grow, Blend, And Brew Your Own Tea At Home by Julia Dimakos

I've been growing my own for nearly two decades (I'm a full time Eco homestead farm woman). What made me very interested in this book was the idea that somehow in some magical awesome way, I could actually grow my own tea plants. After reading this in it's entirety, I see rather clearly that, as I suspected, I cannot grow my own tea plants unless I can bring them indoors during the winter. Fine. No tea plants for me. Update 1/25/25: I've maintained two little tea plants for nearly the past two years.

On we go to the herbals. The info. is pretty basic. In some situations the author provides more information than in other situations. Safety considerations are not the best. If you are new to herbs, Rosemary Gladstar is a well trusted herbalist with a nice amount of books to get off to a good start.

The herbal tea blend recipes are really not my cuppa tea. FYI: Many feature high FODMAPs plants.

I grow or have grown many of the herbs mentioned. The nice thing about herbs is how for the most part, they are low maintenance (aside from the endless weeding) & relatively pest & disease free. Bringing them indoors however, usually doesn't work too well. They tend to do best outside. If you have the set-up to bring them in, then good on you. I live in a historic late 1700's log cabin & I struggle enough with my houseplants come winter. The struggle is for several reasons. My cabin is small. My windows that get the best lighting are small. I have a lot of cats. A lot.

Regarding growing and harvesting, the information is sketchy. For example, hibiscus roselles have teeny little spikes on them that poke into my fingers during harvest & stay there because I can't see the darn things to get them out. A video on how to properly harvest the calyx is probably useful to newbies or a detailed drawing. It's not hard or complicated, but pictures make it easier to understand.

Which brings me to my next subject, and it's brief. Pictures. There are pretty paintings of the plants. No real photos of the plants. To me this is an epic fail. It is a lot harder to identify plants and plant parts with cutey drawings than it is with actual photographs of the plants and their parts. That said, actual experience will gain you the most knowledge. Grow something a few times & you will recognize everything about it quickly & easily. It's kind of like having a super power.

The book is not a bad book, I actually kept it. So that says something right there. It's just that it's lacking in a lot of areas. You can get started with this, but you are going to learn a lot more than what is provided here when you are doing this hands on & that may or may not discourage you. Plus, don't forget your micro-climate. It's amazing what differences there can be in different parts of ones property.

It bears repeating, If you are new to herbs, I highly recommend getting a herbal beginners book by Rosemary Gladstar.

Manufactured in the United States of America.

Small live tea plant growing in a pot in USDA Zone 6 at Running Bug Farm, WV.

One Of My Two Potted Tea Plants. I Bring Them Inside For The Winter (USDA Zone 6).

Tea Gardening for Beginners: Learn to Grow, Blend, and Brew Your Own Tea At Home

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