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.

Summer Daze Tea - Tea Blend of the Month

Spearmint for cooling, flowers for summer brightness and a few immunity boosters so you stay healthy to enjoy the fun make this a tasty summer tea.

• 1 tsp spearmint
• 1 tsp dried lemongrass
• ½ tsp each elderflowers
• ½ tsp rose petals
• ½ tsp chamomile
• ½ tsp blackberry leaf
• Pinch of orange peel  (or purchase our ready-made tea blend!)

Mix ingredients together well and store in a tightly sealed jar

To Use: Bring cool water to a boil.  Place 1 tsp of the tea blend in a tea infuser, pour 1 cup of boiling water over and allow to steep for 5 – 6 minutes, preferably in a covered container.  For iced tea, allow to steep up to 12 minutes, then allow to cool to room temperature and add ice and add a squeeze of lemon if desired.

Three Herbs to Cool down your over-heated self - Herbs of the Week

There are herbs (of course there are herbs) to help you get through the long, sticky days of August with your cool head intact.

1. Sage (Salvia officinalis):

Sage is a mint family member. That may sound surprising, but actually most herbs are, in some way, connected to this very large plant family. Here’s the crazy thing about sage: as a hot tea, it induces sweating. As a cold tea, though, it eases sweating. Try both hot and cold and see what your body likes. We make a rose iced tea with sage and most people were surprised we included it until they enjoyed the effects.

Sage is also good for the nervous system when it’s been aggravated by heat — you know, all those hot tempers that flare up in August? Other heat conditions can arise, of course, aside from summer heat. Menopause is one good example. Sage is really wonderful for this transition, easing the heat and dryness in the body. Try a cool tea laced with honey (which, as a demulcent, draws moisture to the body) to ease any discomfort.

2. Elder (Sambucus nigra, Sambucus canadensis):

You may be familiar with the elderberry’s use as a cold/flu/cough remedy, but the flowers are also used herbally, especially when trying to reduce heat. Elder is a cooling, drying herb, especially when it’s the dried flowers used in an infusion or tincture.

The reason elder is so good with colds, the flu, and heat in general can be attributed to its diaphoretic effect, which means the herb allows fluid to move easily in the body, opening pores and cleaning everything out. Elder flower tisane or tincture made from dried flowers is especially effective if you suffer from habitually dry, irritated, or flushed skin. Elder improves circulation throughout the body, opening the lungs, blood vessels, capillaries, kidneys, skin — anything that moves fluid along.

There are no dangers or contraindications associated with elder flowers, so brew away.  Elderflowers turn into elderberries this time of year.  Be careful as overconsumption of elderberries can potentially cause digestive upset, but this usually isn’t much of a danger if they are dried or cooked first. Never use the bark internally, or any raw berries or leaves.

3. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium):

Yarrow is one of my absolute favorite herbs, perhaps because it's one of the true traditional medicinal herbs of the New World.  Native Americans knew its worth and shared it with us.  The plant has a long, well-documented history. It grows almost everywhere, which makes it a truly local food.  I just realized I have never done an herb of the week just on Yarrow!  (I will fix that soon!)

Yarrow regulates the fluids in the body, cooling or heating as needed by moving blood toward, or away, from the skin’s surface. This makes it a good herb for my Rosacea which might contribute to it being a favorite of mine.  I also love the bold yellow color and the fact that dried it keeps that color and shape making using it in winter arrangements fun and interesting.

To take yarrow, brew up a warm cup of tea to open the pores of the skin and to release heat; a cold brew will stimulate digestion and the kidneys, relieving fluid retention. You can also use yarrow topically on wounds and bruises — another common summer occurrence.

NOTE: It’s best to avoid yarrow while pregnant. Also, it is possible to have a yarrow allergy, so if you suffer from a ragweed allergy, start with small doses and see how you feel. It's best to avoid this herb if you’re on anticoagulants or suffer from bradycardia.

No matter how you choose to beat the heat this summer, herbs are a fantastic addition to your summer wellness routine. Not a fan of iced tea? Brew up and cool a sage tisane (tea) and mix it with some lemonade. Trust me: it’s fantastic. Any of these herbs can be seamlessly combined in any number of summer drinks, smoothies, or sodas. And remember, when you’re using herbs as remedies, it's best to let them steep 5-10 minutes and use 2-3 tsp per 8 ounces of water (although you can adjust either of these recommendations to your personal taste).

Enjoy the rest of your summer with enjoyment and a cool head.