A Gentle Shift – Herbs and Tea for the Return to Fall Routines

As August fades into September, the pace of life begins to change. Summer vacations wind down, school schedules return, and mornings suddenly arrive earlier than anyone would like. The transition can feel exciting, exhausting, and emotional all at once—for adults and children alike.

Herbs, especially herbs in tea, offer gentle support during this seasonal shift, helping create moments of calm, focus, and comfort as routines settle back into place. Here are a few tea suggestions to help you along the way.

Lemon Balm Tea

🌿 Lemon Balm and Lavender for Calm

Back-to-school season can bring nervousness and overstimulation, especially after relaxed summer days. Lemon balm and lavender are two herbs traditionally used to encourage calm and relaxation.

A simple evening tea can help create a peaceful bedtime ritual before busy school mornings begin.

Calming Evening Tea

• 2 parts lemon balm
• 1 part chamomile
• ½ part lavender

Steep for 5–7 minutes and sweeten lightly with honey if desired.

The flavor is gentle and approachable, making it ideal for family tea time.

We have two Backyard Patch Teas that are perfect to include in this ritual.  Calming Spirit - A soul-soothing blend designed to quiet the nerves and settle the stomach. The delicate balance of rosemary, lavender, spearmint, chamomile, and cloves creates a mildly minty, aromatic infusion that brings tranquility with every sip. Enjoy it hot for a cozy evening wind-down or iced for a refreshing moment of calm. Holy Basil Relaxing Tea - Unwind naturally with this calming evening blend designed to quiet busy minds and ease you into restful sleep. Holy basil, lemongrass, lemon balm, peppermint, fennel, sage, hibiscus, and rose hips create a lightly citrusy, minty cup with soothing herbal depth. Packed with comforting herbs and vitamin C-rich ingredients, it’s the perfect nighttime ritual for relaxation and wellness support. Cozy, calming, and wonderfully grounding!

🌿 Rosemary for Focus and Memory

Rosemary has long been associated with memory and concentration. Students in ancient Greece reportedly wore rosemary garlands while studying, believing the herb sharpened the mind.

Whether or not one believes the legends, rosemary’s invigorating scent certainly awakens the senses.

Try:

• Adding rosemary to lemonade or herbal iced tea
• Simmering rosemary on the stove for an aromatic study environment
• Using rosemary in snack mixes or roasted nuts

We created a headache tea using a combination of rosemary with other herbs called Headache Liberation, that is bright and refreshing. This citrusy-herbal blend brings together lemon verbena, lemon balm, lavender, catnip, rosemary, and sage to help release tension and clear the mind. Whether it’s stress, sinus pressure, or a long day weighing on you, this tea is a breath of fresh air.

🌿 Building Immune Support

The return to classrooms often means the return of seasonal sniffles. Late summer is an excellent time to begin incorporating supportive herbs into daily routines.

Classic herbs include:

• Thyme
• Sage
• Elderflower
• Echinacea
• Mint

These can be blended into teas, syrups, or steam blends for seasonal wellness support.

Simple Wellness Tea Blend

• 2 parts thyme
• 1 part elderflower
• 1 part peppermint

This blend has a pleasant flavor while offering comforting herbal warmth.

If you want to look into our teas, we have Winter Remedy - A cool, soothing blend designed to bring relief during cold and flu season. Rosehips deliver a burst of vitamin C, sage works to fight germs, and peppermint provides a cooling effect to ease fevers and body aches. A winter staple to keep you feeling your best. Or Tulsi Rose Tea - Soft floral notes and comforting herbs come together in this soothing, immune-supportive blend. Holy basil (tulsi), lemon balm, rose petals, and elderflower create a rich reddish-brown tea with a slightly sweet, robust flavor that feels warm and calming from the very first sip. Perfect for winding down at night, easing frazzled nerves, and keeping cozy during cold and flu season. A peaceful cup for body and spirit alike!

🍎 Small Rituals Matter

The transition back to routine doesn’t have to feel abrupt. A cup of tea after school, herbs tucked into lunches, or a calming evening bath can help create comforting rituals that ease the change of season.

Herbs remind us to slow down and pay attention—even during busy times. As summer softens into autumn, they offer both flavor and reassurance, helping families settle gently into the rhythms ahead.

Recipe of the Month update

We have tons of recipes in our collection.  A whole 4-drawer cabinet full.  So we decided to share recipes in a variety of places to help people cook with herbs, use our mixes and seasoning, and have fun with herbs.

🍲On this blog under the tab Recipe of the Month we share seasonally specific recipes by month starting with January.  So scroll down to find the current month.  We just added Fall Recipes to the list and will post the November and December in the coming weeks.  Here is the location: Recipes of the Month

🥘On our website we have product recipe archive organized by product name.  You can scroll to find product you have or want to own and see what we have made with these blends beyond the recipes on the label. Check out the Recipe Library

🪴We share recipes weekly and sometimes more often than that on our Facebook and Instagram pages. A Mocktail or Cocktail recipe is shared every Friday at 5 PM Central time. You can follow us on Facebook or Instagram to catch all these recipes.

📖On this blog we have been sharing individual recipes, theme recipes and recipes as part of the herb of the week since 2010.  You can find these by using the search box to the right➡️ and inputting an herb ingredient or choosing a theme like chicken or beef.

The recipe files!

Revitalizing Bath Blend - Bath Blend of the Month

This lemony bath combination will soothe and relax, while revitalizing muscles and energy.  And being the summit of harvesting, you can use fresh herbs too.  See below for a single batch using fresh herbs.

Revitalizing Bath Blend 

• ½ cup lavender flowers
• ¼ cup lemon verbena
• ¼ cup lemon balm (You can substitute ½ cup of one or the other)
• ½ cup lemon or orange peel
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 6 drops lemon grass essential oil 

Combine all herbs in a plastic bowl. Add oils by the drop and stir with a plastic spoon or spatula (not with your hands.) Allow to meld for an hour and then place about ¼ cup in a cotton muslin bag or heat-sealed tea bag.

TO USE: allow bath bag to steep in hot bath water for 3 to 5 minutes before bathing.

Fresh Herb Version (makes 1 bath)

• 2 Tbls fresh or dried lavender buds
• 2 Tbls fresh lemon verbena leaves, crushed
• 2 Tbls lemon balm leaves, torn
• 2 Tbls frsh lemon zest
• 6 drops of matching essential oils, if desired