Herb Gardens
Tea Gardens. Herbs for tea are very easy to grow and very rewarding
since you
can use these herbs very easily without being a gourmet cook.  First
begin by
thinking of what types of tea you like...look on the boxes of your
favorite
herbal blends for clues!  And next you can think about magical purposes
of the
tea....ritual blends, preparatory blends and cleansing blends for
pre-ritual,
the magical powers of the herbs....and lastly, think about physical
uses of
the herbs...are they calming, energizing, etc?
(If you take prescription medication , it
is
always a good idea to investigate the herbs for medical contradictions
or
interactions; and as always, consult with your physician.)

Easy to grow tea herbs include any of the mint family (including
peppermint,
spearmint and catnip) but these can be invasive in the garden so you
may wish
to plant these in a large container or grow them away in their own
special
bed.  The mints can also revert/change each other if planted directly
in the
ground near each other, another reason for large pots rather than
direct planting.
Chamomile...the German Chamomile is what you want for teas and
generally,
just the dried flowers are used...it has a wonderful apple aroma!
Lemon Balm is also a delicious tea herb, but is invasive like the
mints...it
can also be used fresh in lemonade and regular caffeinated teas for a
fresh
taste of lemon!
Lavender blossoms add a sweetness to herbal teas.
Rose petals and rose hips (the swollen head left after the rose petals
fall)
make good tea...the petals add a lovely sweet fragrance while the hips
add a
tartness,
and are high in vitamin C.

Raspberry and strawberry leaves can also be used in teas, but they do
not
impart a fruity flavor...rather they can be useful for medicinal teas
for women.

You may also wish to wild harvest herbs for teas, but take care not to
harvest anything that may have been sprayed with pesticides! (like
roadsides) 
Things like dandelion and mints often grow wild...dandelion is easy to
identify  :-)
but if you are not sure about a plants identity, it is better to
leave the plant alone.

Flea Repellant Herbs. These are nice to grow if you have dogs or cats
and
wish to have an herbal alternative to the chemicals used to prevent
flea
infestations.  Once grown and dried they can be used in homemade flea
collars, pet
pillows and carpet/furniture potpourri (sprinkle under carpet edges and
under
cushions).  Most of the time you should encase these herbs in cloth
because they
can be caustic to a pets skin or cause allergic reactions if handled
directly.
***Special Caution:  if you have young children, you may choose not to
grow
these or teach them to stay away from these herbs since they can be
caustic to
delicate skin and eyes.  Rue can cause a nasty skin rash similar to
poison
ivy on some people, so please wear gloves when handling this herb.

Flea repellant herbs include pennyroyal, rue, flea bane and tansy.
*These herbs will not kill the fleas, they simply discourage
infestation.

A Smudging Garden can be grown using herbs that will be made into
smudge
sticks in the autumn.  A good sage (traditionally white sage, but I use
other
sages because the white sage is a bit too acrid for my taste) is
usually the base
for smudges.
I like to add other herbs like mugwort and lavender to my smudges.
Other plant materials can also be added to smudges, like Juniper.
You can also create smudges without sage...grow what you like to smell!