The ideal do-it-yourself instruction guide and manual for the gardener and tea enthusiast, "Growing Your Own Tea Garden: The Guide to Growing and Harvesting Flavorful Teas in Your Backyard" is packed with inspiration, illustrations, and practical instructions for cultivating and enjoying delicious teas on even the most modest plot of ground. Author Jodi Helmer (who is an experienced journalist who writes about food, gardening, farming, the environment and sustainable living) will help even the most novice of gardeners to effectively and successfully plan and plant a productive backyard tea garden. With sample garden designs and cultivation advice, Jodi shows how to choose the right crops for a particular soil and climate, and starting with the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), then going on through a comprehensive survey of tisanes, or herbal teas, readers will discover how to grow the full range of herbal infusions that make wonderful teas, from flowering chamomile and lavender to chicory roots, rose hips, lemon verbena, peppermint, aromatic bergamot and more. Jodi also shows how to harvest, dry and store tea to enjoy all year long, -- along with brewing tips and creative recipes. It should be noted that sample tea garden designs include instructions for growing tea in container gardens and raised beds, understanding the differences between black tea, green tea, white tea and herbal tea, drying and storing tea leaves for consumption on cool autumn days, and 'Let it steep: how to brew the perfect cup of tea'. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Growing Your Own Tea Garden" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal and community library DIY Gardening instructional reference collections. Midwest Book Review.