Thanks for reminding me , mom had a bergmont Plant in her front yard and i would make tea from that as well, love the flavour! mix it with the mint leaves and try that if yu can, so delicous!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH, that sounds good, too!

I had some spearmint but it didn't do very well and one winter what I had left died.  Several different times I tried to grow lemon balm but they also died.  Then about 5 years ago I bought another lemon balm plant and put it in a different location.  It did really well there. and has gotten so large that every year my DH tells me it's going to take over the bed that it's in.  I use it fresh in the summer.  I add it to regular tea and make minted iced tea.  I also dry some to use in the winter.  I think I'll clean out the other side bed that I have and get some more spearmint next year. 

Shellia

Pat, do you know what to do with echinacea once it is growing? I have purple coneflower come up every year, but my thyroid pills say I shouldn't use echinacea... but that doesn't mean my family members can't! But I have no idea how to turn my echinacea plants into "echinacea". Is it a tea of the leaves? Of the flowers? What do you do to use it, if you know?

crunchymamamaine:

I have no idea how to turn my echinacea plants into "echinacea". Is it a tea of the leaves? Of the flowers? What do you do to use it, if you know?

 

The leaves, flowers and roots can all be used. If I could ever get it to grow here, I'd probably use the leaves and flowers. You just dry them and make tea from them. Cut the tops of the plant off where the first healthy leaves are growing, then lay them out or hang them to dry. The plant is supposed to grow back. If you harvest the root, you just cut a piece from it and replant the rest so you don't destroy the plant, then chop it up and dry it. The root is supposed to be stronger, medicinally speaking, but you have to simmer the root to make tea, rather than steep it and it takes longer. 

I remember my parents and grandparents always had mint growing profusely around their foundations, and later I read that it repels ants.  I've heard "contain it" from people who like a well-ordered garden and "plant it under a dripping faucet" from those who love it and want it to grow and spread.

Raspberries and their leaves.  Do you use the leaves of the plants that are producing this year?  I wouldn't think you would be taking the leaves from the stems that will produce next year?  Anyone know for sure?

Thanks!

I'm growing chocolate mint and I have some regular mint and spearmint. How do I dry the leaves? Never grew it before-

 Mint leaves are easy to dry. I've done them in a dehydrator and on a screen in the sun, as well as just letting them dry on a plate on top of the refrigerator. They would take too long to dry without heat if you live in a humid area. You don't have to do anything to them beforehand other than making sure they're clean, of course. 

 

I was thinking about making a table top screened solar dehydrator-(in otherwords, nail a screen to some wood so it stands up and placing a piece of plexiglass on top)-to dry other foods, so this would work to dry the teas and things like my basil. Thanks.