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Homegrown Tea: An Illustrated Guide to Planting, Harvesting, and Blending Teas and Tisanes
Homegrown Tea explains how to grow a large variety of plants in your own garden, on a balcony or even on a window sill could become your tea cupboard. It shows you how to grow your tea from seeds, cuttings, or small plants, as well as which parts of the plant are used to make tea. Liversidge lays out when and how to harvest your plants, as well as information on how to prepare the plant, including how to dry tea leaves to make tea you can store to last you throughout the year. As a guide to using tea to make you feel better, there are nutritional and medicinal benefits. Finally, there is an illustrated guide to show how to make up fresh and dried teabags and how to serve a delicious homegrown tea. It is sustainable way to look at a beverage, which is steeped in history and tradition.
Sample drinks include well-known plants such as rose hips, mint, sage, hibiscus, and lavender, as well as more obscure ones like chicory, angelica, apple geranium, and lemon verbena.
Sample drinks include well-known plants such as rose hips, mint, sage, hibiscus, and lavender, as well as more obscure ones like chicory, angelica, apple geranium, and lemon verbena.
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 18, 2014
Being a long-time practicing herbalist, I am not easily impressed by books on herbs. More often than not it seems as though writers rely on what others have written, regurgitating the same information again and again without adding much, if any, new material from their own understanding, practice, and experience.
Not so with Homegrown Tea: An Illustrated Guide to Planting, Harvesting, and Blending Teas and Tisanes. The author, Cassie Liversidge, has provided a book that is as refreshing as hibiscus tea on a hot summer afternoon, combining scientific information, traditional and folklore traditions, and her own experiences with each plant she features.
Liversidge begins with tea, both black and green, and the goes on to explore various alternatives to that most traditional of beverages, such as lemon balm, blueberries, and honeysuckle. Odd as it is, I had never really thought of trying to grow actual tea plants. While I realize it would be impossible for me to grow enough to keep my family in tea for a year, I do think it will be fun to grow at least a couple just to see how they grow and try my hand at harvesting and preparing our own homegrown tea.
The book is beautifully put together and effectively organized. It is divided in to larger sections like leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers and roots. Each section offers several examples and gives information on medicinal benefits, growing and harvesting, blending and making a tea or tisane with that plant or plant part. I especially enjoyed the "Tea Bag Friends" sidebars, in which Liversidge offers ideas and tips for blending other plants with the one that is being featured. Her writing style is interesting and individual, and one gets the clear impression that she has personal experience with each herb, fruit or root she is discussing.
Whether you are a tea enthusiast, herbalist, or gardener, you will find loads of good information and sound advice in this lovely, unique book.
by Khadijah A.
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
Not so with Homegrown Tea: An Illustrated Guide to Planting, Harvesting, and Blending Teas and Tisanes. The author, Cassie Liversidge, has provided a book that is as refreshing as hibiscus tea on a hot summer afternoon, combining scientific information, traditional and folklore traditions, and her own experiences with each plant she features.
Liversidge begins with tea, both black and green, and the goes on to explore various alternatives to that most traditional of beverages, such as lemon balm, blueberries, and honeysuckle. Odd as it is, I had never really thought of trying to grow actual tea plants. While I realize it would be impossible for me to grow enough to keep my family in tea for a year, I do think it will be fun to grow at least a couple just to see how they grow and try my hand at harvesting and preparing our own homegrown tea.
The book is beautifully put together and effectively organized. It is divided in to larger sections like leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers and roots. Each section offers several examples and gives information on medicinal benefits, growing and harvesting, blending and making a tea or tisane with that plant or plant part. I especially enjoyed the "Tea Bag Friends" sidebars, in which Liversidge offers ideas and tips for blending other plants with the one that is being featured. Her writing style is interesting and individual, and one gets the clear impression that she has personal experience with each herb, fruit or root she is discussing.
Whether you are a tea enthusiast, herbalist, or gardener, you will find loads of good information and sound advice in this lovely, unique book.
by Khadijah A.
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
February 28, 2021
Love the organization of this book. Very comprehensive and easy to follow.
September 20, 2018
This book, subtitled “An Illustrated Guide to Planting, Harvesting, and Blending Teas and Tisanes” is a delightful gardening book for lovers of tea. All teas, black, oolong, white, or green come from the plant Camellia Sinensis. The differences among teas is in how we grow, harvest, and process them.
The book is clear and well-laid out. It is illustrated with both photographs and drawings. Liversidge divides the book into 5 sections: leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers, and roots.
The author gives some excellent and easy to follow tips on brewing, teapots, teabags, even the best water to use. One of the things I liked most about this book was the individual mini-sections on tea leaves, seeds, fruity, and flowers. The author’s selections for inclusion here are based on popularity and ease of growing. Forty plants receive special attention, including the tea plant itself, black, white, and green. Useful tips on growing, harvesting, and using these plants supplement this section.
I found the remainder of the book interesting and practical to gardeners. Liversidge is careful to distinguish the actual plant/seed/flower she is describing from other similar or like-named plants. She is clear in presenting other common names for the plant in question. She details what parts of the plant are specific to tea-making. Further, she adds information about which plants attract bees, birds, and butterflies. I also enjoyed the brief history of each plant included in the mini-sections.
The mini-sections are laid out alike giving the history first followed by a brief survey of the edible parts of the plant. The medicinal use of the plant is clear and concise. The author next presents how-to grow basic information. Harvesting is well explained so that even the most novice of gardeners can follow along. Then, she ends with how to make tea from the specific plant/flower/seed she is highlighting.
Her attention to detail is informative but not overwhelming. Each plant is also identified for tasty pairings of tea, such as bergamot and black for an Earl Grey or bergamot and rosemary for a ‘feel good’ beverage. Blending angelica (stems or roots) with coriander seeds is great for digestion. And a favorite – Calendula petals put under your pillow at night will make your dreams come true. What a fascinating read this is.
The book is clear and well-laid out. It is illustrated with both photographs and drawings. Liversidge divides the book into 5 sections: leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers, and roots.
The author gives some excellent and easy to follow tips on brewing, teapots, teabags, even the best water to use. One of the things I liked most about this book was the individual mini-sections on tea leaves, seeds, fruity, and flowers. The author’s selections for inclusion here are based on popularity and ease of growing. Forty plants receive special attention, including the tea plant itself, black, white, and green. Useful tips on growing, harvesting, and using these plants supplement this section.
I found the remainder of the book interesting and practical to gardeners. Liversidge is careful to distinguish the actual plant/seed/flower she is describing from other similar or like-named plants. She is clear in presenting other common names for the plant in question. She details what parts of the plant are specific to tea-making. Further, she adds information about which plants attract bees, birds, and butterflies. I also enjoyed the brief history of each plant included in the mini-sections.
The mini-sections are laid out alike giving the history first followed by a brief survey of the edible parts of the plant. The medicinal use of the plant is clear and concise. The author next presents how-to grow basic information. Harvesting is well explained so that even the most novice of gardeners can follow along. Then, she ends with how to make tea from the specific plant/flower/seed she is highlighting.
Her attention to detail is informative but not overwhelming. Each plant is also identified for tasty pairings of tea, such as bergamot and black for an Earl Grey or bergamot and rosemary for a ‘feel good’ beverage. Blending angelica (stems or roots) with coriander seeds is great for digestion. And a favorite – Calendula petals put under your pillow at night will make your dreams come true. What a fascinating read this is.
July 4, 2021
This author is multi talented, providing all the painted illustrations for this tea reference book. It is a pretty, small format coffee table style book full of much that is interesting to lovers of tea, and especially to those who would like to grow their own. She discusses the differences between tea and tisanes, infusions etc (mostly related to whether you are using an actual tea species, or what part of the plant). There are lots of great photos and tea combination suggestions, and a short history of tea itself.
My critiques of this book are few, but I think significant. I would have made different editing choices regarding her placement of her end chapter on general plant knowledge and planting/caring of seedlings. Much of that info should be at the beginning of the book, in the introduction in order to provide context. The author lives in the UK, where the the growing seasons and temps are much different from most of North America. Therefore for those used to growing zones in N.A., this can be a bit confusing without the context. Also, while there are many good photos, some showing the process of preparing and drying plants for tea, there are no captions on the photos, which may be helpful to further illustrate her process. Lastly, while she discusses the idea of filling teabags, she doesn’t actually discuss the bags themselves. She is obviously environmentally conscious, so a discussion on the high end bags that don’t degrade in the compost would have been a good addition, along with a discussion of what types of fabric work best for handling and getting out the best flavour.
My critiques of this book are few, but I think significant. I would have made different editing choices regarding her placement of her end chapter on general plant knowledge and planting/caring of seedlings. Much of that info should be at the beginning of the book, in the introduction in order to provide context. The author lives in the UK, where the the growing seasons and temps are much different from most of North America. Therefore for those used to growing zones in N.A., this can be a bit confusing without the context. Also, while there are many good photos, some showing the process of preparing and drying plants for tea, there are no captions on the photos, which may be helpful to further illustrate her process. Lastly, while she discusses the idea of filling teabags, she doesn’t actually discuss the bags themselves. She is obviously environmentally conscious, so a discussion on the high end bags that don’t degrade in the compost would have been a good addition, along with a discussion of what types of fabric work best for handling and getting out the best flavour.
July 27, 2018
An excellent guide to what plants you can grow in your garden to make your own tea/tisane. I live in Canada so there are a lot that I won't be able to grow, but it was interesting to learn that Bee Balm (Monarda) is a plant I can make tea from. And bees love it.
A lot of good information here, but it is essentially a gardening book with very in-depth information about growing the plants.
A lot of good information here, but it is essentially a gardening book with very in-depth information about growing the plants.
February 7, 2024
This was such a cool book! Borrowed it from the library but I definitely want my own copy.
It shares such great information about varying plants to grow for tea making, as well as how to harvest, prepare the flowers (orwhatehaveyou), and how to make tea.
Such a great book
It shares such great information about varying plants to grow for tea making, as well as how to harvest, prepare the flowers (orwhatehaveyou), and how to make tea.
Such a great book
January 26, 2022
Really enjoyed this book on how to plant and grow teas and tisanes; visually pleasing, informative, useful, and not out of my reach. Great book for beginning herbalists and even more advanced ones.
May 23, 2014
The end all and be all of Tea books. This book will explain the history, how to grow, pick, dry, and make many different teas, as well as tell you what goes well with it and how to make different combinations. Love this book and will definitely but it someday!
February 5, 2017
A very helpful book for anyone interested in herbs and tea and natural medicine. Informative overviews and basic instructions to let one know if this or that plant is the right one. I'm adding this to my reference collection.
October 1, 2021
This is a stellar book on the subject, with plenty of information on both gardening and tea-making. Lots of tried-and-true herbs here, as well as some unusual selections.
July 29, 2021
This might be the nicest tea reference book of all. Well designed! The consistent format of each section (To Grow, To Harvest, To Make Tea) makes it super easy to find the information you are looking for. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that for each plant mentioned there is a “tea bag friends” section to tell you which other plants work well with the one featured! As well, there is a tips section and both sections appear as colour-coded boxes - so very easy to spot! There is also a planting chart at the back for easy reference if you wish to grow the plants. This is the best book on making homemade teas/tisanes. It’s as helpful as it is beautiful.
December 20, 2022
A nice overview to inspire homegrown
I have a small, raised garden that holds black river stones in the winter. One day I may try a greenhouse plant, but for now, I like the Zen look.
In the summer I vary. One summer planted cat thyme, and several lavenders. I was planning on flax this year. But after I read this book I may have to change planting plans.
The book has lots of glossy pictures. I am quite sure the kindle version does also. It is really an overview with lots of starter information on various plants that tea can be made from. Also, how to grow, prepaid, and serve. We also get information on medical benefits.
I have a small, raised garden that holds black river stones in the winter. One day I may try a greenhouse plant, but for now, I like the Zen look.
In the summer I vary. One summer planted cat thyme, and several lavenders. I was planning on flax this year. But after I read this book I may have to change planting plans.
The book has lots of glossy pictures. I am quite sure the kindle version does also. It is really an overview with lots of starter information on various plants that tea can be made from. Also, how to grow, prepaid, and serve. We also get information on medical benefits.
June 6, 2024
This was such an interesting non fiction read! This book was able to rescue me from a reading slump! I enjoyed both her gardening and tea advice and found the illustrations beautiful. The photography was also quite helpful to know what your tea should look like. The paper was so high quality and pleasant to hold in my hands. I am looking forward to growing some of the plants in this books and I also enjoyed learning about teas already in my tea cabinet. I would recommend this book to anyone who just wants to know more about what they are consuming or an avid gardener looking to create a tea garden.
July 22, 2021
This started out with the medicinal benefits, harvesting information, drying and tea making instructions for white, black, and green tea. It then was split into chapters on specific leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers, and roots. I found this to be one of the most useful because there was more information on each specific plant than any other resource I found. It also had a plethora of helpful tips, tea blends to try, and warnings if needed, and inspired me to try to make tea from a few more things than I was planning, like blueberries and raspberry leaves.
August 5, 2023
Pleasant, informative reading.
It's from an idealist/purist standpoint - everything organic, perfectly-timed steeping, etc. but one doesn't have to discard the water from the first boiled rinsed pot, etc. to glean lots of enjoyment and instruction from this book.
Lots of great pictures and interesting blend ideas. I want to try calendula with coriander and chamomile with violet...Also in the course of reading, I pulled fennel and fenugreek seeds out of my herb cupboard and planted them in my garden and they sprouted, so I am feeling pretty inspired.
It's from an idealist/purist standpoint - everything organic, perfectly-timed steeping, etc. but one doesn't have to discard the water from the first boiled rinsed pot, etc. to glean lots of enjoyment and instruction from this book.
Lots of great pictures and interesting blend ideas. I want to try calendula with coriander and chamomile with violet...Also in the course of reading, I pulled fennel and fenugreek seeds out of my herb cupboard and planted them in my garden and they sprouted, so I am feeling pretty inspired.
December 14, 2022
I write these reviews for my own memory so please skip.
This is a great book on tea. I have the Kindle edition but I imagine the print version would be nice in a home to leaf through.
Wonderful information of growing, harvesting, amd brewing teas.
I will say reading a book like this from cover to cover took me a long time. But once I sat down with the goal to finish off all of my straggling, left on the currently reading list for multiple years books this Christmas it went quickly.
This is a great book on tea. I have the Kindle edition but I imagine the print version would be nice in a home to leaf through.
Wonderful information of growing, harvesting, amd brewing teas.
I will say reading a book like this from cover to cover took me a long time. But once I sat down with the goal to finish off all of my straggling, left on the currently reading list for multiple years books this Christmas it went quickly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2021
This book provides beautiful examples of many common herbal tea plants. The book is divided into sections on leaves, seeds, flowers and roots. With each example are beautiful color photos, how to grow the plant, when to harvest and how to make the tea. There are also suggestions of which herbs can be paired. It’s a beautiful book and certainly a good library addition for the herbalist.
August 26, 2017
Meh. Can't really do any of these recipes unless you have some really expensive equipment like top tier dehydrators and specialized sushi mats. Was hoping to have more data on how to grow these and there was not a lot of variety in tea types.
February 26, 2020
A very pretty book, but the herbal tea section was more like a dictionary of tea ingredients. There weren't really recipes for tea blends beyond general suggestions (like, here are two other herbs that go nicely with this entry).
January 29, 2023
An excellent and accessible resource! This book was full of gorgeous illustrations and pictures, easy to follow instructions, and fun plant facts for the curious; I would like to add a copy to my personal library!
July 2, 2023
It's rare that I review a book that I haven't finished AND give it a positive review. However - while I haven't finished this book, I know I want to buy it someday. It looks like a good starting reference for tea gardening, and I'm just getting started.
January 15, 2025
A fine, well-organized presentation on a range of plants, fruits and seeds that can be harvested and dried for tea, along with practical how-to growing tips and recipes. Best all-around book I've found on the subject.
February 26, 2017
A great resource for growing official tea plants and other plants that can be combined with tea or brewed on their own. Features illustrations painted by the author that are gorgeous!
June 12, 2017
Very well done book with a lot of good information on a wide variety of plants that can be grown for tea, how to grow and harvest them, and some of their medicinal uses.
February 6, 2018
A smart not-cookbook-sortof on the art of growing tea.
December 17, 2018
A very interesting read, it was informative and has beautiful pictures!
Read
December 29, 2019Such a beautiful to look at book with lots of great notes about harvesting and making tea!
September 24, 2021
This was gardening resource, which is going to fuel a lot of future landscaping at home.
March 18, 2022
Super informative on growing & preparing different stages & type of teas & tisanes, with pairing advice & other helpful tips. Not what I was looking for, but enjoyable anyway.
March 3, 2023
Fantastic guide to growing your own plants for teas and tisanes - I'll definitely keep this as a reference guide for regular use!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews