A soothing cup of herbal tea can begin in your garden

Drink a fragrant cup of herbal tea, and the intoxicating scent of steeped herbs might calm your mind before you even take a sip. Even better is when they come from your own backyard herb garden.

Mine includes several ingredients for my daily cup, and they’re all easy to grow and prepare.

Herbal teas are distinct from true teas — such as black or green — which comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. (You can grow that in your garden, too.) Brew herbal teas with either freshly harvested or dried herbs.

Either way, settling in with a cup of homegrown herbal tea — hot or iced — can be a relaxing ritual.

Most herbs require a sunny spot that receives at least 6-8 hours of sunlight daily, but they benefit from a bit of afternoon shade in hot climates. They grow well in containers, raised beds and gardens in well-draining soil. Fertilizer isn’t usually necessary, but incorporating a generous helping of compost into the soil at planting time will help nourish herbs throughout the growing season.

To sow directly outdoors, space seeds as directed on the package label. If seeds are super tiny, such as those of mints, mix them with a bit of sand, then scatter them directly over the soil. When they reach 2 inches tall, remove excess sprouts to achieve the recommended spacing between the remaining plants.

Check the “date to maturity” on the seed pack or plant tag. Seeds are best sown in spring, but purchased starter plants can be planted later as long as the expected harvest date falls within the remaining time frame before the first frost.

Keep the soil lightly moist until the plants become established, then water only when the soil dries out.

Here are some favorite herbs to get you started.

German chamomile: This annual plant’s miniature daisy-like flowers make a cheerful addition to the garden and brew into a lovely, delicate tea that pairs well with a bit of honey. Provide regular doses of a flower-boosting fertilizer, such as 5-10-5, according to package directions, beginning one month after planting.

Mints: There are many delicious choices. Favorites include peppermint, spearmint, chocolate mint, pineapple mint, lime mint and apple mint. All perennial mints (hardy in zones 3-9) grow and spread with abandon, so it’s best to plant them in pots rather than directly into the garden (unless you are willing to allow them to take over an entire area).

Agastache foeniculum: Commonly called anise hyssop, this perennial is often used as an ornamental in flower beds in zones 3-8 or 9. The plant’s highly aromatic leaves make a tasty licorice-flavored tea. Although related to mint, it retains a mostly mounded form and does not spread as aggressively as its cousins. Note: For tea, be sure to plant the straight species (foeniculum); although other anise hyssops may be edible, their flavors vary.

Lemon balm: Another mint relative, this perennial is hardy in zones 4-8 and should also be contained to prevent aggressive spread. Its subtle lemon flavor is refreshing without being overpowering.

Lemon verbena: This perennial shrub, hardy in zones 8-11, grows best in partial shade and is a heavier feeder than many other herbs. Apply a liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks to boost its health and vigor. Hardy in zones 8-11, the plant’s leaves impart a stronger, more intense lemon flavor than lemon balm.

Harvest herbs in the morning, just after the dew has dried, when their essential oils are most concentrated. In my zone 7 garden, that’s typically around 10 a.m. Rinse them well and pat dry.

To use right away, heat water to just below boiling, then pour 8 ounces into a cup with 2-3 tablespoons of chopped, fresh herbs. Cover the cup and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes. Strain, and add sweetener or combine with other herbs, as desired.

To dry herbs for future use, spread them on a screen or tie a bunch of stems together and hang the bouquet upside down. Place in a well-ventilated, dark, dry spot until they become crunchy.

Remove leaves or flowers from stems, then store in a tightly sealed glass jar in a cool, dark spot, like a kitchen cabinet, where they’ll retain their flavor and fragrance for about 2 years.

Because the drying process concentrates their flavors, you’ll need fewer herbs and less brewing time to make your tea, so start with 1 teaspoon and 5 minutes of steeping, adjusting according to your preference.

Jessica Damiano writes regular gardening columns for The Associated Press. She publishes the Weekly Dirt Newsletter. Sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening.

A spearmint plant grows in the ground at a home on Long Island, N.Y., on June 15, 2026. (Jessica Damiano via AP)

Freshly harvested spearmint leaves, dried chamomile flowers, and a cup of herbal tea are displayed on Long Island, N.Y. on June 15, 2026. (Jessica Damiano via AP)

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Eight people accused of having links to antifa are being sentenced Tuesday for their convictions on terrorism charges related to the shooting of a police officer outside a Texas immigration detention center last July 4.

A federal jury found them guilty in March of providing material support to terrorists and other charges following a nearly three-week trial. Most face a federal prison sentence from ten to 60 years.

Benjamin Song, the demonstrator who prosecutors say opened fire and wounded a local police officer at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado was convicted of attempted murder and faces a minimum penalty of 20 years and up to life in prison.

Another defendant, Daniel Sanchez Estrada, who was convicted of corruptly concealing a document and conspiracy to conceal documents, could get up to 40 years.

Others who pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists rather than take their case to trial face up to 15 years in federal prison when they are sentenced Tuesday in Fort Worth.

Prosecutors say the eight are members of antifa, a decentralized anti-fascist organization that has become a target of the Trump administration. They have denied any affiliation and maintain they attended the demonstration to show support for immigrants inside the detention center.

FBI Director Kash Patel has said the case against the Prairieland demonstrators is the first accusing people the Trump administration believes are antifa of terror-related charges.

President Donald Trump last fall signed an executive order designating antifa a domestic terrorist organization, even though there is no domestic equivalent to the State Department’s list of foreign terror organizations.

Critics warn the case could have wide-reaching impact on protests given that organizations operating within the U.S. are supposed to be protected by First Amendment free-speech rights.

Short for “anti-fascists,” antifa is not a single organization but rather an umbrella term for far-left militant groups that confront or resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations.

Last week, federal prosecutors charged 15 people with impeding the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. They claimed the demonstrators were members of antifa who conspired against the federal government to block arrests and deportations by setting up blockades around government buildings and throwing chunks of ice at federal vehicles, among other actions.

Marcelo reported from New York.

FILE - Officers with the Department of Homeland Security walk on the sidewalk outside the Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse during a trial for people connected to a 2025 shooting outside an ICE detention facility, in Fort Worth, Texas, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)