STRESS-BUSTING BREWS

Tea is the nation’s favourite tipple – the wheels of UK industry would probably grind to a halt without it. But herbal teas pre-date even our good old brew, having been used for millennia as a drink and for many medicinal and restorative reasons.

Many of our most common native plants, plus lots of more tender interlopers, have long been popular for making herbal infusions - many caffeine-free. But they are expensive to buy in the shops and often the plastic-coated pre-packed bags filled with dried leaves, whilst convenient, are not as delicious as the fresh article.

Here are a few ideas and tips to help you produce your own tasty brews.

FENNEL SEEDS (Foeniculum vulgare)

The herb fennel is easy to grow and will often self-seed around the garden. It is a perennial, so once planted will come up each year and is much-loved by bees and hoverflies.

Give it a sunny, warm spot in impoverished soil and it will thrive with very little care and attention and is very drought tolerant. All