A well-established herbal vine can produce a nearly impassable wall of color and fragrance. Vines also give a lush appearance to an area that might not be fully planted and filled with other herbs. Any way you look at it, herbal vines should be considered as an element in your garden landscape. Jasmine tea is an herbal tea typically blended with green or white tea, which is then dried and stored until the jasmine leaves are ready. Once the jasmine blooms start opening, the dried tea is spread out and the fresh jasmine blooms are laid on top. They are replaced as they wilt, while their heady fragrance permeates the tea leaves beneath. Why not do the same thing with some of your dried herbs? You could also leave the jasmine blooms right in the herb mixture, although they are not as pretty as other herb blooms are. Jasmine scented tea is very soothing and relaxing. It makes a great cup of tea after a stressful day. If you are looking for a highly fragranced hedge, wild roses can’t be beat. They are not the stunning beauty of a cultivated rose, but they make up for it in prolific, heady blooms. There are thornless varieties for those who don’t want to fight with the thorns, and the leaves are just as tasty. Raspberry plants can be prolific producers of fruit. So, it makes frugal sense to consider growing raspberries both for it’s delicious fruit and as a privacy screen. Raspberry leaves can be dried to make a wonderful tea. In fact, the natural tannin makes this a good choice to use as a base in all your herb tea recipes. You can harvest raspberry leaves all season, with no effect on the berry yield. Harvesting is easy; merely cut down the female hops plant to the roots in the fall. The hops that hang from the vines are what makes for a relaxing brew. Because the hops vine dies back every fall, cleanup is a breeze, and you can start fresh the next spring.
