Are you looking for an easy and fun way to spice up your cocktails or mocktails at home? Look no further than creating a cocktail garden in your own backyard or patio!
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With Florida’s Springtime just around the corner, I couldn’t help but admire the idea of an Instagram-inspired cocktail garden. Sure, my herbs have a variety of uses – mainly medicinal and culinary – but having their refreshing flavor in every sip? Now that sounds like the perfect kind of medicine.
Growing a cocktail garden is a great way to add fresh flavors and unexpected ingredients to your favorite drinks. Not only can you save money on pricey herbs, fruits, and vegetables that are normally used in cocktails, but you can also reap the benefits of homegrown ingredients.
Let’s explore how to get started growing your very own cocktail garden.
With very little green thumb know-how, you can build your own cocktail garden and watch those fantastic creations shake up before your eyes!
Step One: Find the Right Location
The first step in growing a cocktail garden is finding the right location. If you’re lucky enough to have access to an outdoor area that gets plenty of sunlight, then you’re all set. However, if not, don’t worry; there are still options available for apartment dwellers or anyone who doesn’t have access to an outdoor space. Many herbs and small vegetables can be grown in containers on balconies or patios with indirect sunlight.
Step Two: Choose Your Plants
Now comes the fun part—choosing which plants to add to your cocktail garden!
Once you’ve found the perfect spot for your cocktail garden, it’s time to start picking out plants! There are so many different herbs, fruits, and vegetables that can be used in cocktails. If you’re looking for herbs, some good options include mint, basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, lavender, chamomile, and tarragon. If you want fruits for garnishes or flavoring syrups or liqueurs consider adding lemons, limes, oranges, strawberries, blueberries raspberries and elderberries.
When selecting your plants, make sure they will thrive in the environment you have provided them with. Some plants do better indoors than outdoors so do some research for your location before you buy anything! You may also want to take into consideration how long each plant takes to grow so that you are able to harvest it when needed.
Purchasing plants can be a great way to get your garden off to a quick start. With established plants, you’ll be able to harvest fresh herbs sooner and enjoy their flavors in your cooking right away. Plus, if you’re new to gardening or don’t have a lot of time to devote to the process, purchasing plants can be more convenient than starting from seed.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that purchasing plants can also be more expensive than starting from seed. Additionally, growing herbs from seed can provide a sense of satisfaction as you watch your seeds sprout and grow into healthy plants.
This is the first year I’ve started all my plants by seed. It’s been a fun… and admittedly frustrating… process! The herbs seem to take longer than my vegetable and flower seeds so far (even the mint!). I’m learning patience at the same time as I’m growing my plants!
Curious about what you need to start your plants by seed? Check out my post about 6 important seed starting tools to get you started! I’ve purchased many of my herb seeds from Botanical Interests, True Leaf Market, Eden Brothers, and Territorial Seed Company.
Step Three: Plant and Care For Your Garden
Now that you have decided which plants will make up your cocktail garden it is time to start planting! Once planted, it is important to water and care for them properly. Different plants require different levels of care so make sure you look up their individual needs before getting started! Lastly don’t forget about fertilizing; adding compost or fertilizer once a month can help keep your plants healthy and happy—resulting in tastier cocktails!
Cheers!
The perfect home bar setup is now at hand – from the freshest garnishes to tantalizing tinctures alive with flavor.
Growing a cocktail garden is a great way for anyone from beginner gardeners to experienced green thumbs alike to elevate your home bar setup while also having fun doing something creative. With some basic knowledge about gardening techniques as well as which types of plants work best for making cocktails at home—you can easily create an impressive array of ingredients for any drink imaginable! So why not give it a try today? I promise… it will be worth every sip!
Have you grown a cocktail garden? Leave your favorite things to grow in the comments!
