Tea Talk with the Bath Gardening Club 🌿☕

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to speak at the Bath Gardening Club. We gathered in a hall in Bath. About 25 gardeners stayed for tea tasting and conversation after their meeting. 

Whenever I talk to gardeners, I feel like they already understand tea. You work with soil. You watch the seasons. 

Tea is the same.　

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From the Tea Plant to Your Cup 

We talked about the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, and how green tea, oolong, and black tea all come from the same plant — just processed differently.

I love that moment when people realize this. There’s always a little pause… and then someone says, “Really? The same plant?”

Yes. The same leaf. Just treated differently.

Just like wine. The same grape variety can taste completely different depending on the country, the soil, and the climate where it’s grown.

Tea is no different.

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What We Tasted

We sampled three teas together

• Dragon Well (Chinese Green tea)
• High Mountain Oolong (Taiwanese Oolong tea)
•  Buckingham Palace Garden Party Tea (Flavoured Black & Green blend)
  
  I usually bring a classic Orange Pekoe when I introduce black tea. But this time, since I was with a gardening club, I couldn’t resist choosing something with “Garden Party” in the name.

It felt appropriate. And I think it made a few people smile. 😊

 

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Tea vs. Tisane (This Was Fun)

We also talked about the difference between tea and tisane.

True tea comes only from Camellia sinensis. Mint, chamomile, and other herbal infusions from our gardens are technically tisanes.

For a room full of gardeners who grow their own herbs, this sparked a lot of interest — and a few surprised looks.

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What Stayed With Me 

What I enjoyed most was how naturally the conversation flowed. Once we started talking about plants, soil, climate, and patience, tea didn’t feel like a separate topic at all.

Gardening and making tea speak the same language. 

Both require care.
Both take time and attention.
And neither can be rushed.

Thank you to the Bath Gardening Club for welcoming me so warmly. It was such a lovely afternoon.

Tea, gardeners, and good questions — that’s my kind of gathering. ☕️