These homegrown herbs make a great cuppa

Utilise the mint in your garden bed – or maybe the chamomile, stevia and lemon thyme – to create your own homegrown brew.

Tea is most vibrant made with fresh leaves from the garden - but you can also dry leaves to store.

Herbal teas are refreshing, caffeine-free alternatives to tea and coffee. They’re most vibrant made with fresh leaves from the garden, but you can also dry leaves to store. Mints are easy to grow, whether regular mint, peppermint, spearmint or apple mint – they all like semi-shade and moist soil. Mints can spread invasively, so grow them in a pot or corral them by sinking a large plastic pot (with the base cut off) into the soil up to its rim. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a pretty plant and makes a calming tea. It likes semi-shade and summer water; in cold areas it dies down over winter to regrow in spring. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is a tall annual plant whose apple-scented flowers are well known for their calming qualities. It grows in a sunny spot from seed sown in spring, flowering from summer to autumn. Lawn chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) flowers are not as sweet. For a more savoury tea, try rosemary, sage, marjoram, thyme and lemon thyme. For sweetness, grow stevia (Stevia rebaudiana), whose leaves are 30 times sweeter than sugar, have no calories and are suitable for diabetics. Add a sliver of homegrown ginger root or a lemon slice to the pot for added zing.

What to brew?

For herbal teas, pick new leaves that are sweet and tender. It’s a form of pruning that promotes bushy growth.

Stevia

Mint

Use only registered organic sprays on plants you consume, and wash leaves before use. Try these four.

Lemon balm

Sage

Q&A

My dahlias, planted last November, started strongly but have died due to mites, heat and inexperience. Any tips?

Renee Tunney, Brisbane

Dahlias need sun, shelter from wind and well-drained, enriched soil. In warm areas you can leave tubers in the ground over winter, but lift and store them after the foliage dies down if your soil stays wet. Plant tubers in spring, liquid-fertilise monthly and keep mulched to prevent water losses in summer. Treat two-spotted mites with Eco-Neem. Dahlias are susceptible to several viruses, causing distortion and stunting. There’s no cure for viruses so these plants should be destroyed.

Why does my climbing rose refuse to flower? It’s super healthy, with numerous stems more than 2m tall. It’s been given potash regularly.

Chris Hogan, Brisbane

Vigorous stems of climbing roses don’t flower much when they grow straight upwards. You need to train them horizontally, which stimulates the growth of short lateral branches that bear the flowers. Roses also need at least six hours of direct sun per day to flower well.

We’re about to experience apartment living for the first time. What plants do you suggest for pots on a north-facing balcony in coastal southeast Queensland?

Peter and Lyn Weier, Woody Point

Avoid little pots, as they dry out too quickly and can blow over. Fewer, larger pots will have the most visual impact and give you the best plant growth. Groups of three similar but different size pots work well. For colourful flowers most of the year look at the Mandevilla Aloha series, dwarf hibiscus or Geranium ‘Big Red’. If sheltered from the wind, you can grow Tahitian limes and lemons, underplanted with kitchen herbs. For sculptural effect, try bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae), frangipani, Ficus ‘Burgundy’ or Dracaena ‘Tricolour’, with contrasting spillovers such as Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ or purple Tradescantia pallida

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