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Use fresh herbs instead of flowers to make a tea bouquet, a great alternative to allergy-inducing pollen, or with store-bought flowers, pesticides. I gathered herbs like lemon verbena and chamomile to make a bouquet for my lovely friend's baby shower. She can then steep the fresh herbs for a soothing cup of tea in the weeks before her (and the baby's) Big Day.
Materials & Tools:
-Variety of favorite herbs and flowers for tea (I’ve included spearmint, pineapple mint, lemon verbena, flowering sage and medicinal marigolds.)
-Gardening shears (Scissors will work, but woody stems may dull the blades)
-Twine or twist-tie
-Discarded packaging
-Scissors
-1/2 cup salt dissolved in 2 cups water (optional)
Tea Bouquet Using Fresh Herbs
Step 1
Gather all the herbs and wash them thoroughly. For sturdy varieties where petals or leaves won’t fall off, considering soaking fresh herbs and flowers in a salt bath for 30 minutes to remove any garden "friends." Remove herbs, and allow them to sit 1 hour, or until dry to the touch.
Step 2
Trim all herbs so they are either the same length (for a blunt looking bouquet) or staggered, with tall stems in the back and shorter stems up front. Secure stems with twine or a twist-tie.
Step 3
If giving the fresh herbs bouquet as a gift, wrap the stems however you choose. I’ve used rippled cardboard from an old mail package and then added twine, both to secure the bouquet as well as to add a rustic look.
Herbs are less hardy then flowers and should be put in water as soon as possible (within 2-3 hours after cutting). Or, consider adding a small handle with twine for your friend to dry the herbs upside down in her kitchen.
If using for home décor, simply drop the stems in a mason jar of water.
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