I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is a very informative book about not only growing Tea yourself but also the history of tea, the methods, types, equipment and way more! It made me realise just how much time and effort people put into growing and producing tea.

I don't think I could ever grow tea where I live but it would be an amazing experience to do so.

This would be a great gift for any tea fanatic and would make a fantastic retirement project too.

The art in this book is so pretty. I loved the list of teas, it included not only the origin but also what they tasted like. The author really knows their teas. They explained that the differences in types of tea often come from how it is processed not the plant itself. There is a ton of detail on everything you need to know about growing tea. If you are new to gardening it can be overwhelming, but if you are looking to plant tea this book is a must-have.

I was unprepared for how in depth this book was going to be. The history section is very thorough. The growing and sourcing sections are incredibly well thought out and organized to make it as easy as possible. As a tea lover, I didn't think it would be possible to grow my own. I knew absolutely nothing about how tea was produced prior to this. The three keys to successfully growing tea plants are planning, patience, and persistence. This book will definitely help you source, select, and cultivate your own tea garden. If you know a tea lover who also loves to garden, this would make a great gift.

This is a great how-to book for the tea aficionado and an informative guide to tea for those who are just starting out on their tea journey. The writers explain the process of growing tea plants in a clear manner that makes the reader feel she could raise a tea plant or two herself.

This was a much more thorough book than I expected.

There's a brief history of tea, tables that tell you about different kinds of tea, and tons of information! From growing tea to best climate and soil to short and long term maintenance of plants, there's a lot to learn! There's also information on harvesting, processing, and tips to successfully cultivate tea plants.

There's pictures showing you when the best time to pick is and information on things like oxidation. Lots of details! I also didn't expect there to be recipes! It would never occur to me to boil an egg in tea, but there's all sorts of interesting ideas included.

This is a really informative read if you want to grow and pick your own tea!

Thank you to NetGalley and Timber Press for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Grow Your Own Tea is an in-depth informative guide about the Camellia plant and how to grow and harvest it for your own homemade tea. If you’re looking for a growing guide to turning your home garden into a tea garden with a variety of plants to make your own tea blends, this is not that book. Instead, this book is geared towards those who are unfamiliar with growing their own Camellia plants for tea harvest and would like to get started. I particularly enjoyed learning about Camellia plant ecology and contemporary tea growers in America.

However, I think the biggest issue I had with this book was its organization in the first section (A World of Tea). I think this section would be much more effective if it started out with who the authors are, how this book was researched and put together, and then about the Camellia plant before going into the history of tea and contemporary tea growing.

It seemed like the majority of this book was geared towards those who are unfamiliar with the entire tea process (such as that tea comes from the Camellia plant) and therefore would be unfamiliar with the authors themselves. So, more time spent on the authors’ combined expertise and how they are able to write this book would have been appreciated. However, there were several instances within the book where it felt like the authors were talking to their friends and the reader was entering halfway through the conversation. I don’t think these audiences are interchangeable and the authors need to stay consistent and pick one. As one example, during the first part of the book, the authors frequently refer to results of a survey they did without actually describing the survey itself.

Overall, this read like a coffee table book to me (rather than a reference/general nonfiction book) and while I can now definitely say Camellia plants are not in my immediate gardening future, I did enjoy learning about them. Thank you again to NetGalley and Timber Press for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.

Really great if you are a gardener or one who just wants to grow specifically tea plants. It is helpful with areas of growth, from seed to plant to pests. Some recipes and images to get a visual. Basics, types of tea, regions and more to get an idea of how and where to grow.

I'm grateful I picked up this book because of how much information is in it. From breakdowns of growing practices from seeds AND cuttings, to in-depth breakdowns of things that can effect the growing of each type of tea to even how to profit from your tea garden, this book truly covers all once needs to know to grow their own tea garden. Would recommend to both those who love tea and those who love to garden.

This book is a wonderful resource. I used to live down the road from the Charleston Tea Plantation and over many years of taking visitors there, had picked up a lot, but this book goes to a whole different level. It is thorough and gives alternative ways of doing almost everything. I'm planning on buying it in print, and then buying my own tea plants!

This is a very informative book with tons of helpful information. I don't read many books about gardening, so I was impressed by the level of detail. I'm still on the fence about whether I'll actually try to grow my own tea but the information still feels relevant as a consumer and tea purchaser.

Thanks for the ARC.

A veery thorough guide to growing and processing tea leaves for the serious, not the casual home or small-production gardener.

I would love to grow tea plants, but unfortunately it appears I don't live in a good climate for it (harsh winters). However, this book was still good for learning about the plants, the process, and the differences between all of the tea types out there. I also like their idea of "tea tourism" - visiting the small tea farms around the country.

This book was not what I was looking for. It was very thorough and detailed, but it is not a book for the average person looking to grow some herbs to turn into tea so if that's what you are looking for, this isn't it. There seemed to be a lot of filler background information that was boring and tedious to read through.. I personally wouldn't recommend this book but do appreciate the author taking their time to create it.

Everything you wanted to know about how to grow, dry, and prepare your own tea--but didn't know to ask. This is a clear, thorough guide to home tea production, from selecting the right varieties to treating the leaves. There are also tea-infused recipes, such as tea-boiled eggs and white tea-infused jellies. Full-color photos throughout.

Grow Your Own Tea is an extensive resource guide for anyone looking to get into growing tea. Their focus is on growing the Camelia plant which is the base plant for all tea leaves. The authors spend chapters discussing all of the aspects of growing tea from soil to seed preparation. there is also a year by year growth and care task list to ensure your plants continue to flourish.
I would recommend this book if you are already into gardening or farming. I am an avid tea drinker, and enjoy creating my own blends from loose tea, but after reading this book I don’t feel that growing tea plants is something I can take on. After reading Grow Your Own Tea I feel that being a home tea grower is a daunting task and should only be taken on by someone that already has a garden or farm.

Disclaimer: I was given a temporary eARC of this book by Timber Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Grow Your Own Tea: The Complete Guide to Cultivating, Harvesting, and Preparing by Christine Parks and Susan M. Walcott is an absolutely beautiful book! The photography is wonderful and the layout is beautiful. This is a textbook for the tea aficionado. Everything is put together in such a logical and easy to follow way that even though there is a lot of information on each page, it is easy to follow. Absolutely everything is done in a very clear step by step approach with corresponding pictures.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone that is interested in the history of tea and in growing their own!

This is a textbook of tea growing, with really comprehensive information on everything related to tea -- it's history, how to grow it, all the varieties grown around the world, how to process it, etc. It is not an option where I live and I honestly could never put in the amount of effort it would take to properly grow and process tea, but if you are wanting to really learn how to do it commercially, this will be a fantastic guide.

This only covers "real" tea, incidentally, not the plants we use for what we call tea like mint, elderflowers, raspberry leaf, red clover, nettles, etc. I actually do grow quite a lot of those (and forage them). They are much more my (sorry) cup of tea. :) This is a truly great guide for those who want to grow the traditional tea plants (camelias) and process the leaves for sale.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

Grow Your Own Tea by Christine Parks; Susan M. Walcott The Complete Guide to Cultivating, Harvesting, and Preparing
I was thrilled to find this book available to read and review! I LOVE tea and have made my own simple tea with my variety of mint plants, rose petals, and lemon verbena. In GROW YOUR OWN TEA, there is information on the origins and types of tea. Imagine my surprise when I read there is a tea grower in Fairhope, Alabama, not too far from where I live. One of the important chapters in this book is about deciding how much and what type of tea you want to grow. Since I plan to grow mine in large patio containers, the information about the soil is key! If I were younger, I would grow a variety of tea plants in a garden environment. I learned about rolling the tea leaves and the correct way to dry for storage. Thank you for the recipes and I really like the idea of making a tea infused jelly!
Publication Date: June 23, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Grow Your Own Tea by Christine Parks & Susan M. Walcott. This is a complete guide to cultivating, harvesting and preparing tea. There is a general history of tea as well as an overview of the types. Growing up in South Carolina, I already knew of the tea grown on Wadmalaw Island, just south of my hometown of Charleston. There are also details of tea being grown in Alabama, California, Hawaii, Mississippi, Oregon, and Virginia. The book covers the basics of the tea plant itself and common varieties, and then moves to extensively cover planting and care. Personally, I love the detail. The words are precise, and the pictures enhance the instructions. Charts like “season-by-season tasks” are extremely helpful. And the section detailing how to pick, process, and prepare the various forms of tea is an excellent resource. This book seems to cover every topic. The book concludes with an excellent summary of resources and references. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have already order fve plants from Parks’ nursery.

A more detailed blog about this book can be found at https://patch405.com/2020/02/27/serendipity/

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.