Whether you are into cocktails or mocktails, here’s some tips on how to grow some great garnishes for either in a small garden.

Dry January is over and there might be a cocktail/mocktail (or two!) you’ve been dreaming about. It’s also that time of the year when gardeners get antsy to get back outside so we start making plans and over order seeds online so we have something to look forward to. I want you to take a moment and imagine your favorite summer beverages. Think about what kinds of plants you can grow in a small container at home to add to those drinks. I call this a “cocktail garden” because it sounds way fancier than “drink garden”. But I also use mine to grow ingredients for tea, lemonade, and even cake! Hop online or grab a cookbook and find some recipes for inspiration. Pick out a few versatile plants that could be used for multiple recipes or play around with ones you’ve never tried before. 

If you’d like to start your garden from seed this University of Minnesota Extension link has some tips for starting herbs indoors in late winter. Make sure your containers have proper drainage and use a soil with low nutrient content so your herbs can focus on maintaining their essential oils (instead of promoting rapid growth). Once they are outside, fertilize sparingly with a 5-10-5 commercial fertilizer only once over a growing season. For indoor container herbs, you can apply a liquid fertilizer every 6 weeks at half the recommendation on the label or for outdoor patio containers, every 3-4 weeks. If you’re looking for seeds, our lovely Master Gardener volunteers have created a seed library at the Farmington Library. If you want to check out what was put into the seed libraries last year, here’s a link to the 2025 Seed Library List pdf.

Here are some small cocktail garden or patio plants to choose from:

-Basil (Likes full sun and well-drained soil)

-Mint (Good for Mojitos and Mint Juleps. Likes partial shade)

-Lemon balm (Good for tea. Likes partial shade and dry soil)

-Lemon grass (Good for iced tea. Likes moist soil)

-Lemon verbena (Good in a lemon cake. You can’t drink on an empty stomach!)

-Sage and Thyme (Muddle into drinks or make into a simple syrup)

-Chamomile (Good for tea)

-Lavender and Rosemary (Good for lemonade or make into a simple syrup)

-Borage and Nasturtium (Purple and orange flowers for a garnish)

-Jalapeños (Good for spicy margaritas)

-Blueberries and Strawberries (Great as additions to many drinks)

-Stevia (Grown as a sweetener)

I’ve found I don’t need much for a small patio cocktail garden and wait until the plant sales in the Spring to buy individual plants. I use 2-3 stackable containers, each with 3 sections for pots. Consider which side of your container will be shaded and either add taller or shade tolerant herbs there and face your sun-lovers toward the light. Put moisture loving plants toward the bottom and plants that tolerate drier soil on the top level. Now you’ve got a stack of bodacious botanicals to choose from after a long day of gardening!  

Here are a couple of recipes to get you started.

References:

https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-herbs

https://crowwingmastergardeners.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Plant-Guide-Herbs.pdf

https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/libraries/Using/Seed/Documents/SeedLibraryInventory.pdf

https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-basil

https://extension.umn.edu/flowers/edible-flowers

Picture credits: Amanda Drews (1-3)