Selling Home-Grown Tea Herbs

There are numerous ways to package dried herbal teas for sale, from tea-themed gift baskets to home spa tea collections. Also, they can be sold as individual live potted plants. These are usually for your customers' gardens, but some tea herbs can be grown on a windowsill or porch, or even on your customers' desks at work.
Live potted plants ready to be placed in the customers' gardens can also be sold in themed packages, such as a collection for a summer iced tea postage stamp garden, or as a collection for a summer iced tea postage stamp garden, or as a collection for a summer iced tea postage stamp garden, or as a collection for a summer iced tea postage stamp garden, or as a collection for the customer's own gift garden, where they grow tea to harvest and dry for gifts they give to family and friends.
Harvested and dried herbs can be sold bulk as individual plants, or exclusive specialty blends can be created with your home business's label.
Herbal teas make great products to wrap with other related products into gift baskets, from simple herbal tea samplers to elaborate tea party gift baskets with the inclusion of resale items such as ceramic tea pots and infusers.
Making direct contact with potential customers involves both allowing visitors to your gardens, or selling the herbs off the premises. For visitors, larger tea gardens can become healing sanctuaries themselves, where replicas of Japanese tea gardens or historical European herb gardens can be re-created. In the 18th century, popular coffee houses, which were then considered somewhat rough places where competitive business deals took place, began to give way to high-class tea gardens at the insistence of the ladies. Some of these gardens were almost visions of paradise, with lantern-lit walks, music, dancing, and where exotic landscapes allowed royalty and the common people to intermingle. A well-known tea garden of 1765, Ranelagh Gardens, hosted the nine-year-old Mozart as a performer. No local Mozart to invite? A commercial garden in Washington State hosts a local harpist every Mothers' Day.
Benefits and other gatherings enjoy such services, especially if their people get to meet the actual farmer. For selling away from home, you can offer to host tea tastings for a fee.
Also, look for a listing of local tea houses. A teahouse the author inquired into even asked for edible flowers along with tea herbs.
HRF's current collection consists of more than 300,000 articles. Since its founding in 1983, HRF has served as the central archive of scientific literature on the health effects and safety of botanicals and has developed the world's most comprehensive collection of clinical trials, pharmacology, toxicology, chemical, historical, and horticultural data on thousands of herbal ingredients. According to the HRI, scientific credibility is essential to bolster consumer confidence in herbs and for the continued growth of the industry.

The non-profit Herb Research Institute, www.Herbs.org (HRI) may be of help in this area (see below). In some cases, you can be allowed to describe health claims if an established research entity has made the claim, and you quote them. John's Wort was reportedly banned in France, while its production continues in other countries. For example, St.

These laws change, so make sure your information is recent. Check into all local regulations on safe harvest and storage, and know what can and can't be said as far as medicinal claims. Stay safe, and keep potential customers safe.
(c) 2006 Barbara Adams

Tea and Time

Tea and time have something in common. They both begin with letter "T". There is a reason for that. Under that commonality also lies a lesson of life.
To enjoy tea, we need to take time.
Tea is no longer mere leaves but a form of art from beautiful hands. After the leaves are dried, they hand roll them to form a certain shape and sort them out at the end. Imagine how those beautiful girls and ladies pluck the leaves in a sunny spring morning. The majority of the workers in a tea garden are women.

The shapes are typically from the delicate hand rolling. Leaves from different types of tea come in different shapes, texture and colors. First of all, even before the steeping starts, we observe the tea leaves.
Second, you pour hot water into the cup. You don't just sit and wait (and getting bored and even impatient). Watch the leaves unfold and dance up and down slowly. This "agony of the leaves" is necessary for the flavors and nutrients to be released.
The timing depends on our individual preference in taste. Not too long, not too short. Steeping is also about timing.
Finally, we don't gulp a cup of tea as we do with a can of soda. We sip. Before we sip, we observe the color and the uprising mist of the liquid. We smell the aroma. These are all part of enjoyment of tea.
It all takes time. All the good things in life take time to brew and to enjoy.
Time is the most precious thing. It is also most constant thing as well. We can't get more of it by rushing it. We could potentially lose it if we rush - not only time but also all the great things in life that must be enjoyed with and over time.
A Chinese proverb says it all, "Hurry and impatience prevents the enjoyment of hot tofu."
You may ask, what about the need for speed and convenience?
The faster pace of living demands speed and convenience. Fast foods have become a part of our diet in the past decades as more and more families have two working parents and more and more families have two working parents and more and more families have two working parents and more and more people are into sports, travel and adventures. Mankind invented automobiles, aircrafts and spacecrafts to move from A to B faster. They are the propellers of civilization and evolution from nomadic to agriculture to industrial society.

Yes, they are some times our friends.
Our physical and psychological well being does not improve even though economically we are better off. More people and families are suffering from stresses of all kinds. Recent years have seen increased health problems such as obesity and cancer.

Overdose of speed and convenience can and have already hurt our quality of life. But there is a limit.
Tea can help in many ways with its powerful healing power and the lesson it teaches us about time and timing. It may be time to slow down a little bit and to get back to the basic of life.
Jay is the owner of TaimuTea.com - an online tea store that focuses on tea knowledge, news and education in addition to providing quality fresh teas from Taimu Mountain and its surrounding areas in Fujian province of China.

http://www.taimutea.com

Growing Your Own Herbs for Tea

If you love herbal teas, as I do, you know they are just a little bit pricey. However, growing your own herbs is easy and so much fun!
Here are just a few of the herbs you might want to consider for a tea garden:
Chamomile tea can be enjoyed by itself or you might enjoy adding mint or lemon verbena. Only the flowers of this fragrant herb are used when making tea. Chamomile: Remember the favorite tea of Peter Rabbit?
It's easy to grow (almost too easy) so remember to keep it clipped back. Lemon Balm: This herb is lemony with a touch of mint and makes a soothing cup of tea.
Lemon Verbena: An excellent herb to grow in a sunny spot, it makes a delicious tea. You might try combining it with orange mint or spearmint.
Mints: There are many mints available. Generally, they are aromatic plants and they are aggressive. It may be a good idea to plant mint in a pot and then put the pot in the ground so it doesn't take over your herb garden. Spearmint, peppermint, orange mint all make wonderful teas, alone or along with chamomile or any of the lemon herbs.
Herb teas can be made with fresh or dried herbs and can be enjoyed either hot or cold.
For one cup of hot tea, use one teaspoon of dry herbs or up to 3 teaspoons of fresh herbs. Bruising the leaves of fresh herbs will help release the flavor. Pour boiling water over the herbs in a glass or china pot. Metal pots can sometimes leave a metallic taste. Let steep for 5 or so minutes. Strain and enjoy with a little honey to sweeten.
Sun tea can be made simply by filling a jar with water, throw in a handful of crushed fresh herbs, and set in the sun for 3 or 4 hours. Stir in a little honey to sweeten, pour over ice and enjoy.
Trying different combinations of herbs is fun. Remember you can also add spices you have on hand, such as cinnamon, cloves, etc.
With herbs from your garden you can soothe away your troubles with a cup of chamomile tea or make yourself a refreshing cup of peppermint tea after a hard day at work. Gardening itself is very relaxing and rewarding. There are many benefits to growing and making your own herbal teas.
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Look in the perfumes of flowers and nature for peace of mind and joy of life. --Wang Wei
About The Author
Cyndi Roberts' website, "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another" will show you ways to save money everyday. Receive a free e-course on saving money at the supermarket! To learn more, visit
http://www.cynroberts.com

Into the Serenity of Arya Tea Estate

It has always been an exciting moment for me when a particular tea garden visit is on the calendar. From the hustle and bustle of a busy township and far far away from the madding crowd, I have always found the tea gardens spread its wings, engulfing me with a delight of happiness, energy, clean air and above all absolute silence which is pierced only by the chirping birds. It's a tremendous feeling. Today, I am posting about my visit to one of such tea gardens -
Arya Tea Estate
.
Upon enquiry, I was told that it was Last year as I was having a private meeting with a business partner (at his house), both of us were served tea manufactured at Arya Tea Estate.
"Arya Ruby"
I liked the tea very much and instantly made up my mind to procure this tea when the time was right. - A special tea made from AB-2 clone bushes (AB-2 is a particular type of clonal bush; there are other varieties of clonal bushes as well; AB-2 is one of the best) and purely bio-organic.
Our driver gave up the idea of driving downhill and we didn't want to take the risk. It was a downhill drive and so steep that a four-wheel drive could also fail while returning back if the driver was not experienced to traverse such steepness. Ruby is no doubt a very good tea, but the road to Arya is really bad.

My friend Chandan and I jumped on to the seats and drove towards Arya. Now it was time I put on my boots and walk towards fulfillment of my resolution to procure ‘Arya Ruby'.
Guess what will happen to this road during the monsoons when most of the roads become slippery. We lowered our pace fearing that we would tumble down. Both of us started hiking down the hill and as we were walking, we could feel the tremendous gravitational force acting upon us. Guess what happened next?
Yes, only the women folk are allowed for tea plucking during the peak first flush season because it is believed that "tender hands do tender plucking". The only thing we could hear is the birds sing and yes of course tea pluckers gossiping while they were busy engaged in picking the tea leaves with their tender hands. It was a tremendous feeling to walk in-between the tea bushes; touch them, smell them and even rest on them . We could see Darjeeling town hanging in the sky, and seemed as if it was resting on beautiful patches of white clouds.

After a while, the hustle and bustle of a busy township was left behind and a complete silence blanketed the entire environment.
We too had to shout. Some shouting from below and above the hill occurred in order to communicate - he was quite at a distance and normal conversation volume could be unheard. It was a fellow tea garden worker who had noticed us taking a rest after a perspiring walk. Do you like the garden?", a shout came from above the hill.

"Sir, where are you from? We could also see that some parts of the garden were getting new tea bushes and laborers could be seen working.
a breathtaking view which only an eye which perceived it can describe it better. Oh! On the left we could see Orange Valley Tea Estate and further on to the next hill, Risheehat could be seen resting in serenity. Surprisingly other tea estates were visible from Arya.
A marvellous white tea with almost transparent liquor perfumed with veggie notes, but very expensive. Apart from Ruby, we tasted other teas like Arya White Tea. He welcomed us and we were offered some tea - it was just the tea I wanted and my dream to procure Ruby was fulfilled.

Roy, Manager, Arya Tea Estate, was expecting us. S. After an hour, we reached the factory where Mr.
Guess we are lucky to get it during the peak First Flush tea season. He further added that Ruby is produced on a very limited basis and was hard to fulfill the demand. This means that Arya Ruby is not available in abundance and is only with selected people like us . He informed us that none of the Arya products go to the auctions and all of their products are sold in private.

After tasting and payment paper work was done, we went around the factory and sat for a while chatting with the manager.
They have their own experienced drivers, but all of them need to do the four-wheel drive. The manager promised to deliver the goods at our place the following day. As you know that we had gone hiking, it was not possible to get the teas on our back and hike back.
We left the factory and went to Gaudan uncle's house. Mr. Gaudan Gurung is a close family friend of Chandan who lives in the tea garden area. He is not a tea labourer, but a renowned personality in the Arya area who has been burdened with the welfare of the tea laborers. We were offered lunch prepared with vegetables grown in their own neighbourhood - 100% organic. Ah! it was a real delight.
We were lucky for we didn't have to hike back uphill, Gaudan uncle was going to town on his vehicle. We hopped on to it and started on the uphill task which made my heart shriek. Guess, Mr. Gaudan's son who was driving, was an experienced driver and reached us in "One Piece".
Author:
You can check his Darjeeling Tea company's site at He has a tea company based in Darjeeling, which deals with exotic Darjeeling Teas. His love for tea has ignited a fire in him to write out his thoughts on tea and share it with the world. Benoy Thapa is a Tea Lover from Darjeeling, India.
http://www.thunderbolttea.com
. His personal tea blog can also be seen at
http://www.darjeelingcuppa.com

Rediscover Tea - A Personal Story

Taimu Mountain is the origin of the exotic White tea. The famous Oolong tea Iron Goddess (aka Tie Kuan Yin) is from southern Fujian. Fujian is one of the major tea growing regions in China. I grew up in a tea farm about 20 miles from Taimu Mountain in eastern Fujian province of China.
I spent most of my early childhood in a tea farm with my parents and three brothers and a sister along many other families and their playful kids.
It was like a big family. We all lived in the same apartment building and shared a big dinning hall. For most kids, there was no chance to go to college at that time.

This is during the time of Cultural Revolution when every graduate was sent to a remote farm to learn from the physical work. Some of them just graduated from high schools. The majority of the workers were young single man and women. The farm was state owned. Aside tea growing and processing, the farm also grew crops and raised boars.

The farm is very large with two separate locations on two different mountains several miles apart.
As a kid, I went to the tea garden with my mother and other women to pluck the tea leaves during the day. My father who was the accountant inspected and weighed the leaves at the workshop. The women were paid according to the weight of the leaves they plucked. Night time was when the tea processing began. The farm mostly produced green teas. The processing involved the drying of tea leaves by firing and frying. The process was continued overnight. The workers took a break in the mid night and had snacks, typically a bowl of congee or noodle. I along with other kids would stay late until it was snack time so that we got our share. It is not because we helped in any way; it was just because we were kids. Some times, we even slept in the workshop. We would take a large linen bag used for storing tea leaves and used it as a sleeping bag. One night, my cousin tied my older brother's bag while he was sleeping sound. Later on, my brother woke up and tried to go to bathroom and could not get out. Unfortunately, he wet himself.
After tea leaves were processed, some of them became broken. The broken pieces need to be separated out form the whole leaves by hands. I would join my mother and other women in this effort. Picking out the smaller broken pieces was a painstaking manual process and required a great deal of eyes and hands coordination. The faster one could pick, the more she would handle and the more she would get paid. The outcome was inspected to make sure the tea is free of broken pieces.
Our farm was not a tea refinery where teas are further processed and packaged for final distribution to stores. The coarse teas were transported by feet from the farm to a refinery in the town many miles away. This was the time when we got to go with to visit the town and get our hair cuts, get good snacks and buy industrial products made in big and famous cities like Shanghai.
I moved to my home town about 30 miles away to live with my grandparents and to attend school when I was about eight years old. Since then, I only visited the farm during the summer break.
Chinese people recognize tea as one of the seven necessities of living. Every family, poor or rich, one person or several generations under the roof, all have tea and use it as a way of receiving and entertaining guests. It is a custom that you greet a guest with a bowl of hot tea. Most of times some home made snacks are also served along with the tea. There was no soda, no ice cream when I was a kid. Only tea and the courteous receptions I got from other families as I visited them. Those moments are in my sweet memories and are very much missed as I now live a modern life in the industrialized society full of all kinds of gadgets and gismos along with the fast and convenient sodas and ice creams, thousands of miles away from where I am from.
I came to the states at the end of 1990 as a graduate student. Since then I have joined millions of people here in the pursuit of prosperity. I worked at one job to another, moved from one city to another. I raised one kid to and now two and tried to make the ends meet. Soda had taken the place of tea with its convenience when the fast-paced living leaves me with no time and no mood for tea. I had no tea for about 15 years until two years back when I went to visit my home town and brought back some teas. Now I am reunited with tea and started enjoying and learning more about it.
Tea takes me home each and every day with its refreshing and reflective aroma and taste, even though I am oceans and continents apart from my root.
Jay is the owner of
TaimuTea.com
- an online tea store that focuses on tea knowledge, news and education in addition to providing quality fresh teas from Taimu Mountain and its surrounding areas in Fujian province of China.
http://www.taimutea.com