Art of Tea
Peppermint has a hint of purple in its stem, and shorter, darker leaves than the garden mint variety most people Ive met know of.
Peppermint is actually a natural hybrid cross between water mint and spearmint. Mint leaves were rubbed on tables to welcome guests in Greece, and mint tea is still customarily offered to arriving guests in the Middle East.
When picking peppermint for your own use, the fresh leaves will impart a superior flavor to dried leaves (such as for use in the tisanes I sell). Look for fresh leaves that are green in color without any dark spots or yellowing. In addition to using fresh mint leaves in tea, you can add them to soups, fruit salad or gazpacho.
I recommend you to use mint in most of my flu remedies 
and even coffee at times.
Calamint tops, topped with boiled water make an excellent aromatic tisane which was taken for weaknesses of the stomach and flatulent colic, in other times.
The name of the genus, Calamintha, is derived from the Greek Kalos (excellent because of the ancient belief in its power to drive away serpents and the dreaded basilisk – the fabled king of the serpents, whose very glance was fatal.
I took a walk around zoo lake one day with friend and discovered this plant, outside the nursery or shop. The man being creative there, stopped planting something and accepted my request for a piece to plant. He sent my friend around the corner to get a shovel and a pot or two. We dug out a few pieces, which I am to plant soon and have distributed a few cuttings. One cannot always just take cuttings, ask first, I was in the right place at the right time and this man did not have the time to harvest or make use of the plant and it needed pruning.
I managed to harvest – from what I grew, enough to mix up with lavender for a few cups of tea, and have them on my table 14 March at least R30 each.
I discovered some Bamboo Leaf Tea in meeting Marcel, who is the brain behind the idea of setting up a bottle brick making station in the garden I am creating with some amazing volunteers. She introduced me to Gwendolene or Gwen who grows bamboo, which variety is still a mystery, but I am also considering adding more of her products in the future for reasons below.
Bamboo Leaf Tea, is mainly silica and removes Aluminum from the body. The build-up of Aluminum in the body causes Alzheimer’s. Bamboo Leaf Tea contains the highest amount of vegetative silica of any plant. It promotes hair growth, nail strength, it is the building block of collagen, rejuvenates the skin, increases bone density and is effective for IBS, ulcers and other digestive issues. You need only boil one or two leaves for a cup of tea. I have tried and tested it, and added rooibos and honey or pomegranite juice. Let us know what you think if you try this cup of tea. Please see the end of this post for contact details.
Gwen reminded me that almost all diseases and sickness stem from extreme acidity in the body. The way to solve this is with an alkaline to bring up the PH levels in the body. Gwen has a very good Colon Cleanser which does that. It brings the PH levels up, bonds with toxins in the body, especially the BT Toxin, which is an insecticide that is in all the foods in South Africa, that is causing high rates of cancer amongst the people also children, also toxins that are in tap water, and removes them from the body. It also removes Mercury from the body which is the cause of many diseases. Gwen claimed that everyone used this, many doctors would find themselves without work! Think about that!
I am also putting this article out for any other retailers or stall holders who might be interested in her products, or mine or both to contact Gwen on info.organic.solutions@gmail.com or 072 414 0529 or me 072 146 9017. You can also contact me via this blog
Alternatively, pick the tips off a few leaves of mint or whichever herb you wish to try. Boil the kettle. Fill up a quarter of your cup with leaves and add boiled water. Leave it to stand for 5 minutes. I used this method with lemon verbena, thyme, ginger, various mints, sage, wilde-als and more <3 I sell the mixes I have made and am learning the recipes of a wonderful woman who has been taught by her mom, and her mom by her mom… adding to the mix of tisanes or teas that I offer.
Different herbs have different medicinal and nutritional benefits. Including a tisane a day or even once a week in your diet has been proven to add longevity, improved digestion, improved cardio system, improved immunity…. improved practically everything
I will be adding a few of my dried leaf mixes, self harvested, and grown at home mostly. This process is a test of the market for me, as I would like to have some herbs grown on a larger scale at a community farm, to create employment as well as health benefits for all. I have started a garden project at a sports club in Johannesburg, still a work in progress as I type, to grow more herbs and medicinal plants for teas or tisanes recently.
Please use the contact me page on this blog or the link to my facebook page on the My World page to find out what I have in stock, if you wish to purchase some truly organic tea or tisanes. I do not use pesticides or poisons and I do not grow anything I am using near farms that get their crops sprayed.