Herbal DIY: Simple Fall Tea Blends
Cozying Into the Season
As autumn arrives, the kitchen becomes a gathering place filled with warmth, spice, and comfort. Fall is the season of cozy rituals — wrapping up in blankets, lighting candles, and, of course, sipping hot tea. For us at Hilltop Botanicals, September marks the moment we start blending dried herbs harvested from summer with the fragrant companions of fall.
Making your own tea blends at home is simple, creative, and deeply satisfying. It’s a way to preserve the essence of the garden while celebrating the flavors of the season. Today, we’re sharing how we approach tea blending in small batches here at Hilltop Botanicals, using herbs and botanicals that are safe to work with under a Kentucky home-based processor permit: calendula, chamomile, Rose of Sharon, rosemary, sage, thyme, mint, and more.
The Art of Blending: Using What You Have
One of the joys of small-batch herbalism is working with what’s available. Teas don’t need to be complicated — often the best blends are just two or three herbs combined in thoughtful ways.
Floral notes (chamomile, calendula, Rose of Sharon) bring lightness and color.
Savory herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme) add grounding, woodsy undertones.
Mint and lemon balm brighten the blend with cool, refreshing notes.
Kitchen spices like cinnamon, cloves, or ginger can be added for warmth (purchased, since they don’t grow locally).
With these categories in mind, you can mix and match to create teas that fit the mood of fall — calming, energizing, cozy, or festive.
Blend 2: Savory Autumn Tea
Rosemary sprigs (dried and crumbled)
Sage leaves (a few pieces)
Optional: a pinch of thyme
This is an unusual but delightful fall blend. Rosemary and sage are kitchen staples, but they also make an aromatic tea that pairs perfectly with hearty dinners or quiet afternoons. It’s herbal, woodsy, and grounding — a reminder that tea can be more than just floral or sweet.
Blend 1: Calming Evening Tea
Chamomile blossoms
Calendula petals
Optional: Rose of Sharon petals for a soft floral finish
This blend is as simple as it is beautiful. The chamomile brings a mellow base, calendula adds a gentle golden hue, and Rose of Sharon offers a delicate floral touch. We like to brew this in the evening when the house is quiet and the air outside turns cool.
Blend 4: Golden Garden Tea
Calendula petals
Rose of Sharon petals
Lemon balm
This blend looks as cheerful as it tastes. The calendula lends color, Rose of Sharon adds softness, and lemon balm ties it together with a subtle citrus note. It’s a tea that reminds us of sunshine even as days grow shorter.
Blend 3: Cozy Morning Tea
Black tea base (store-bought)
Cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon
Mint leaves
This is a favorite transitional tea — part breakfast classic, part garden blend. The black tea provides body, the cinnamon gives warmth, and the mint brightens everything. It’s an easy way to bring the garden into a familiar cup of tea.
How to Prepare Small Batches
At Hilltop Botanicals, we measure herbs by the tablespoon rather than by weight when making teas for home use. This makes the process approachable and easy to repeat. A basic ratio is:
1 part base herb (like chamomile, mint, or black tea)
1 part supporting herb (like calendula, lemon balm, rosemary)
½ part accent herb (like sage, cinnamon, Rose of Sharon)
Everything is blended in a clean glass bowl, then stored in airtight jars. Label each jar with the blend name, date, and ingredients. This not only keeps things organized but also makes your teas look beautiful on the shelf — a rainbow of jars filled with dried blossoms and fragrant leaves.
Crafting Tea as Ritual
Blending tea is more than combining herbs. It’s a ritual that invites you to slow down, observe the colors, and inhale the scents. For us, this is where craft and herbal living meet. Just like weaving a wreath, sewing a journal, or photographing a bouquet, blending tea is an act of creativity.
We often pair tea blending days with other projects in the workshop: labeling jars, photographing herbs for prints, or stitching new aprons and tote bags. It’s part of the behind-the-scenes rhythm that shapes Hilltop Botanicals.
Storing and Displaying Teas
We love to store teas in glass jars so the colors can shine through. A shelf lined with jars of chamomile, calendula, rosemary, and mint is not only practical but also inspiring. Guests often pause to admire the jars, and they become part of the workshop’s decor.
For those who enjoy gifting, small jars or tins of tea blends make thoughtful presents. Tie a handwritten label around the jar with twine or ribbon, and you’ve created something both beautiful and useful.
Folklore and Tradition
Herbal teas carry a long history of traditional use. For centuries, households have dried blossoms and leaves not only for cooking but also for sipping as warm beverages. Sage was often brewed for seasonal changes, rosemary celebrated for its fragrance in kitchens, and chamomile long associated with evening relaxation.
At Hilltop Botanicals, we honor these traditions by acknowledging them as heritage knowledge rather than medical advice. We celebrate how generations before us found meaning, comfort, and beauty in these simple practices.
Looking Ahead: Autumn Inspiration
September tea blending is just the start of a season filled with creativity. As October and November arrive, we’ll be experimenting with richer blends — adding cloves, nutmeg, and other warming spices to our jars. These blends not only taste like fall but also smell like the season, filling the kitchen with cozy fragrance.
We’ll also be photographing our teas alongside seasonal crafts: herbal wreaths, fabric designs inspired by leaves, and new photography prints for fall markets. Everything connects — from the herbs we grow, to the teas we blend, to the art we share.
Closing Invitation
Tea blending is an easy, joyful way to connect with the season. All you need are a few dried herbs, a clean jar, and a bit of curiosity. Start small, experiment with flavors, and see what combinations you love most.
We’d love to hear from you: what herbs do you reach for when making your own tea blends in the fall? Share your favorite combinations in the comments or tag us on social media — your ideas might inspire our next blend.