Herbal Teas Seed Collection

A cup-of-tea garden in one gift box: three herbs that make some of the best fresh-leaf teas you can grow. Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) brings a cool menthol bite, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis 'Quedlinburger Niederliegende') a soft, fresh lemon scent, and holy basil or tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) a warm, clove-like spice. All three grow happily in pots on a sunny windowsill or patio, and the box makes a thoughtful present for keen cooks and tea drinkers.

Sowing and growing

• Peppermint: sow in pots or trays April to June, barely covering the seed; a hardy perennial, 50 to 70 cm tall, best kept in a pot as it spreads.
• Lemon balm: sow indoors March to May on the surface of the compost, as the seed needs light; a hardy perennial about 30 to 40 cm tall that regrows each spring.
• Holy basil: sow indoors March to May at 18 to 20°C and keep on a warm windowsill or plant out after the last frost; a tender annual, sown fresh each year.
• Germination takes roughly 1 to 3 weeks; pick leaves from about two months after sowing.

What you receive: a Piccolo Seeds gift box containing three packets of open-pollinated seed: Common Peppermint (about 50 seeds), Quedlinburger Niederliegende Lemon Balm (about 140 seeds) and Holy Green Basil (about 400 seeds), each with growing instructions, plus growing tips and recipes inside the box.

Browse our full range of herb and flower seeds, find more gifts for gardeners, or buy the Quedlinburger lemon balm seeds on their own.