Many gardeners like to sip an adult beverage from time to time – but many fewer have discovered the joy of a cocktail garden. Yep, include the right plants in your herb garden and you can make garden cocktails with them, with or without alcohol!
A cocktail garden looks a lot like an edible herb garden with a few small fruiting plants thrown in. Since the difference depends on the intention of the gardener, nobody will be any the wiser if you plan your garden around cocktail garden plants rather than additions to the spaghetti sauce plants. Are you ready to grow your own cocktail garden? Read on for the best plants to mix and match…
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What to Grow in a Cocktail Garden
A gardener putting in a cocktail garden will select herbs that work well in cocktails. There may be a few unusual herbs in the mix, but most will fit into dinner recipes as well. The range of good cocktail garden plants may surprise you. All the old favorites are there: parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives and tarragon. Also, how about growing some lemongrass – always useful – and ginger?
If you’re looking to grow your own cocktail garden, don’t forget to add fruits to the mix, like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and any fruit tree. Then there are flowering ornamentals like lavender, honeysuckle, borage herb, calendula, elderflower, jasmine, marigold, roses, nasturtium, roses and violets.
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How to Grow a Cocktail Garden
Like any herb garden, a cocktail herb garden can include annuals and perennials, edible flowers, shrubs, vines and even trees. It may also include plants that require maximum sun, plants that prefer less sun and more shade, and even shade-loving selections. Different cocktail garden plants vary in the amount of water they require. Some – like parsley and honeysuckle – need plenty of water, while others, like rosemary and lavender, prefer it hot and dry.
The key to creating a cocktail garden is grouping plants according to their cultural needs. Grow cocktail garden plants in sync with matching plant partners. If all plants that need bright sun are in the sunny part of the garden, and other plants are grouped according to their water needs, your gardening life will be a lot easier. Some of these plants can become invasive – we’re looking at you, mint! Plant these in individual cocktail garden containers instead of the general garden.
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Try These Cocktail Garden Drink Ideas
If you’ve never made cocktails using ingredients from your own garden, it can be a little overwhelming knowing exactly which elements can bring out the best in each other – and in which quantities. Also, while it might be tempting to pull from several sources when creating the ultimate garden beverage, sometimes less is more! Worry not, as here are a few simple ideas for garden cocktails to help get your started:
- Herb-Infused Syrup: Syrup is made from sugar, water and flavoring. Mixed with vodka, it’s great to sip on a summer evening. The basic recipe calls for one cup of water and two cups of sugar. Add three tablespoons of herb or half a cup of fruit, then simmer the mix for 15 minutes. Once it cools, strain out the herbs and let it cool.
- Mojito: This classic cocktail generally mixes soda water, rum, sugar, lime and ice. But you don’t have to stop there! Go right ahead and toss in a clump of lemongrass and some shavings of homegrown ginger for a garden special Vietnamese mojito.
- Garden Special G&T: If your summer drink is gin and tonic, you aren’t alone. It’s a popular drink across the country. Make this adult beverage into something special by adding herbs or fruits from the cocktail garden. A handful of strawberries work well, or you can add a smudge of mint, basil, rosemary, thyme or lavender.
- Whiskey Sour: Rosemary offers a deep, woody flavor that works well with bourbon. If you want to use cocktail garden plants, but don’t want to get fancy, just add a sprig of rosemary to your classic whiskey sour.
