Herbal Delights- Tea from your Garden October 4, 2014

Today I am linking with-

Today's Flowers hosted by Denise

Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma and Magical Mystical Teacher

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

This week I am featuring a couple of annuals that I like.   Blue-purple flowers are not very common, and I like the delicate blooms of Browallia.   Last year I tried Browallia americana, which grows 1-2' / 30-60cm high, and bloomed well.   I started more seedlings and got them planted out early, here they are blooming with Osmanthus heterophyllus goshiki-

They reseeded rather late in summer and the little plants started blooming when small.

This year I also tried Browallia speciosa, which is shorter, growing to just 8-12" / 20-30cm and has bigger flowers.   I didn't get it planted in the garden but it did well in pots,

And here with another annual I tried this year, Petunia exserta, 

which is just becoming available from various seed sources.  It is a hummingbird-pollinated flower, and can get to be 2' / 60cm when planted in a large planter.   Polygonum capitata at base-

I hand-pollinated it with a small natural paint brush and got seed from it.  It is very bright and the plant has the sticky feel of many petunias.

Other plants continue to bloom like some fall-blooming wonders Anemone japonica, Goldenrod, and some roses, Betty Boop-

A productive summer and early fall activity is collecting and drying leaves for tea from various plants around my yard.  Once I fill up all space for drying in my basement, I need to wait until that batch is dry before I pick more, but fall rains have begun so my window for picking leaves will be ending soon.  Some plants I use for tea are Lemon Balm, Peppermint, 

Agrimony, 

Akebia,

 Self-Heal flower spikes (Prunella),  here is a rare sport with the tongue white-

Schisandra, Cleavers (winter grower), Stinging Nettle, Ribwort Plantain (evergreen), Betony, Horsetail (spring only), Red Clover, 

Loquat (evergreen), good for coughs-

 and this year I may add some Agastache, Monarda, and Goldenrod. 

A few other plants that are useful that I could gather some leaves from are Raspberry, Rosemary (evergreen), Thyme, Tea- Camellia sinensis (evergreen), Oregano, Sweet Marigold, Lavender, Lady's Mantle, Kinnickinnick (evergreen), and Salvia.  What is your favorite tea plant to grow?

Not many critters seem available this week, I did run across a Ladybird Beetle, who wouldn't hold still, I like the heart on her back-

And for a blue treat, a square from another 'blue ribbon' quilt I saw at the local fair-

It would be nice to have a quilt at night here, our house temperatures dropped from 74ºF to 64ºF / 23.3ºC-17.8ºC, chilly!      -Hannah

                                       or cameras are macro

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