Imagine making a summer cocktail, walking outside and snipping the mint, rosemary or basil straight from your own plants.
Or picking a handful of strawberries for a daiquiri.
Or grabbing a chilli from the patio because apparently tonight’s margarita needs to fight back.
A cocktail garden is simply a collection of herbs, fruits, vegetables and edible flowers that you can use in homemade drinks. And despite the word garden, you absolutely don’t need a garden to grow one.
You can create a cocktail garden:
- In pots on a patio
- On a balcony
- In a window box
- In a few containers beside the back door
- Or, on a smaller scale, on a bright indoor windowsill
You don’t need to grow everything on this list either. Pick the ingredients that suit the drinks you actually enjoy and the growing conditions you have.
Here are 12 of the best plants to grow for a cocktail garden, plus some easy mini cocktail gardens you can create in a small space.
What Is a Cocktail Garden?
A cocktail garden is an edible garden specifically designed around ingredients you can use in drinks.
Think:
Herbs for muddling, infusing, syrups and garnishes.
Fruit for muddling, juices, purées and decoration.
Vegetables such as cucumber and chilli for fresh or spicy cocktails.
Edible flowers for beautiful garnishes and floral flavours.
You can make the garden as elaborate as you like.
If you have plenty of outdoor space, you could dedicate an entire raised bed to cocktail ingredients.
But if you have a tiny balcony, you can create a perfectly good cocktail garden with three or four pots.
And if you don’t have any outdoor space at all, don’t abandon the idea. Several cocktail herbs can be grown indoors on a sufficiently bright windowsill.
Cocktail Garden Plants at a Glance
| Plant | Best for | Pots? | Indoors? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mint | Mojitos, juleps, garnish | Excellent | Yes |
| Basil | Gin cocktails, fruity drinks | Excellent | Yes |
| Rosemary | Gin, citrus cocktails | Excellent | Possible |
| Thyme | Syrups, gin, citrus | Excellent | Possible |
| Lavender | Syrups, garnish | Excellent | Difficult |
| Sage | Gin, apple, citrus | Excellent | Possible |
| Lemon balm | Spritzes, garnish, syrups | Excellent | Yes |
| Strawberries | Daiquiris, spritzes | Excellent | Difficult long-term |
| Raspberries | Muddling, syrups, garnish | Yes | No |
| Cucumber | Gin drinks, coolers | Yes | No |
| Chillies | Margaritas, spicy cocktails | Excellent | Possible |
| Edible flowers | Garnish | Excellent | Some |
1. Mint
Best cocktail garden plant for beginners
If you’re only going to grow one cocktail ingredient, I’d probably make it mint.
Fresh mint is used in:
- Mojitos
- Mint juleps
- Southsides
- Fruit cocktails
- Lemonades
- Mocktails
- Garnishes
It’s also extremely easy to harvest. Snip a few healthy stems, give them a wash and you’ve got a garnish approximately 30 seconds later.
Mint generally prefers consistent moisture and can tolerate some partial shade, making it useful if your outdoor space doesn’t receive blazing sunshine all day.
Grow mint in a pot
Please grow your mint in a container unless you actively want to spend the next decade discovering mint in increasingly improbable locations.
It’s vigorous.
A pot keeps it contained while still giving you plenty to harvest.
Things you need: Mint plant or mint seeds + pot with drainage.
2. Basil
Best for fruity summer cocktails
Basil might immediately make you think of pesto rather than cocktails, but it’s brilliant in drinks.
It works particularly well with:
- Strawberry
- Lemon
- Lime
- Peach
- Watermelon
- Gin
- Vodka
Fresh basil can be muddled into cocktails, infused into simple syrup or simply used as an aromatic garnish.
And regular harvesting encourages basil to branch and produce more leaves.
Grow basil in pots or indoors
Basil likes warmth and plenty of light.
It’s an excellent container herb and can also grow on a bright indoor windowsill, which makes it one of the best cocktail garden plants if you don’t have outside space.
Here we go: Basil seeds or live basil plants.
3. Rosemary
Best for gin cocktails
Rosemary has a strong, resinous fragrance that works particularly well with gin and citrus.
You can:
- Add a sprig as garnish
- Infuse rosemary into simple syrup
- Use it with grapefruit or lemon
- Pair it with gin
- Add it to non-alcoholic botanical drinks
You only need a small amount because rosemary has a strong flavour.
Growing rosemary
Give rosemary plenty of sun and very good drainage.
It’s relatively drought tolerant once established and works beautifully in terracotta pots.
Unlike mint, rosemary really doesn’t want to sit in permanently soggy compost.
Click here to get the goods: Rosemary plant + terracotta herb pot.
4. Thyme
Best compact cocktail herb
Thyme is particularly useful when space is limited because you can grow plenty of it without sacrificing an enormous section of your balcony.
It pairs well with:
- Lemon
- Pear
- Apple
- Honey
- Gin
- Bourbon
You can use individual sprigs as garnish or make a thyme-infused syrup.
Growing thyme
Thyme generally likes:
- Plenty of sun
- Free-draining soil
- A pot with drainage
It’s another herb that doesn’t appreciate permanently wet roots.
Because it remains relatively compact, thyme is a particularly good choice for a small patio or balcony cocktail garden.
5. Lavender
Best floral cocktail ingredient
Yes.
Lavender.
My nemesis.
Lavender can be absolutely beautiful in a cocktail garden and can be used for:
- Lavender simple syrup
- Gin cocktails
- Lemon drinks
- Floral mocktails
- Garnishes
But I refuse to join the gardening world’s conspiracy that lavender is effortlessly easy.
It wants lots of sun and extremely good drainage, and it can sulk spectacularly if you give it the wrong conditions.
If you’re planning to grow it, read Lavender Is Not Easy and Garden Centres Are Gaslighting You first.
Important
If you’re using lavender in food or drinks, make sure you’re growing a suitable culinary lavender and that it hasn’t been treated with products unsuitable for edible crops.
Never assume a decorative garden-centre plant is automatically appropriate for consumption.
6. Sage
Best slightly unexpected cocktail herb
Sage deserves more attention outside the kitchen.
Its earthy flavour works surprisingly well with:
- Apple
- Pear
- Lemon
- Blackberry
- Gin
- Bourbon
You can muddle a small amount into a drink, infuse it into syrup or use attractive leaves as garnish.
Growing sage
Sage likes plenty of light and good drainage.
It’s well suited to containers and doesn’t need an enormous amount of space, making it another useful balcony cocktail plant.
7. Lemon Balm
Best for fresh citrus flavour without a citrus tree
Lemon balm is one of my favourite choices for this list because it’s extremely useful in drinks.
The leaves have a fresh lemony fragrance and can be used in:
- Gin drinks
- Spritzes
- Lemonade
- Iced tea
- Syrups
- Mocktails
It’s also considerably easier to fit onto a windowsill than an actual lemon tree.
Growing lemon balm
Lemon balm is related to mint.
Which gives you a clue about its enthusiasm.
Grow it in a pot if you don’t want it spreading around the garden.
It’s also one of the better choices for an indoor cocktail garden if you can give it plenty of light.
Get your seeds: Lemon balm seeds.
8. Strawberries
Best fruit for a small cocktail garden
Strawberries are practically designed for summer drinks.
Think:
- Strawberry daiquiris
- Strawberry mojitos
- Strawberry gin drinks
- Spritzes
- Frozen cocktails
- Fruit garnishes
They’re also one of the easiest fruits to fit into a small-space edible garden.
You can grow strawberries in:
- Ordinary pots
- Window boxes
- Hanging baskets
- Strawberry planters
- Raised beds
If you’re already tempted to grow your own, have a look at How to Grow Strawberries for Homemade Jam — the growing principles are exactly the same even if the strawberries are destined for a daiquiri instead.
You’ll need these: Strawberry plants + strawberry planter.
9. Raspberries
Best for syrups and muddled cocktails
If you’ve got slightly more room, raspberries are fantastic.
Fresh raspberries work beautifully with:
- Gin
- Vodka
- Prosecco
- Lemon
- Lime
- Mint
You can muddle them directly into drinks or turn a larger harvest into raspberry syrup.
Can raspberries grow in pots?
Yes.
Choose a variety suitable for container growing and give it a reasonably substantial pot.
Raspberries aren’t the best choice for a tiny indoor setup, but they’re perfectly possible on a sunny patio or larger balcony.
Click here for the essentials: Container-suitable raspberry plant + large planter.
10. Cucumber
Best for refreshing summer cocktails
Cucumber and gin are already extremely good friends.
Fresh cucumber works in:
- Gin and tonics
- Cucumber coolers
- Martinis
- Vodka cocktails
- Summer mocktails
You can muddle it, slice it or create long ribbons for garnish.
Growing cucumbers in containers
Cucumbers can absolutely grow in pots, but they need more room than a little herb plant.
Choose a large container and provide support for climbing varieties.
They also need good light and consistent watering.
If you’ve only got a tiny windowsill, skip the cucumber and grow another herb instead.
Affiliate opportunities: Large grow bag/container + cucumber seeds + trellis.
11. Chillies
Best for spicy cocktails
If you enjoy a spicy margarita, growing your own chillies makes perfect sense.
Fresh chilli can be:
- Sliced
- Muddled
- Infused into spirits or syrup
- Used as garnish
But go gently.
There is a surprisingly small distance between pleasant chilli warmth and I’ve created an alcoholic chemical weapon.
Growing chillies in pots
Chillies work extremely well in containers.
They need plenty of light and warmth to produce good crops, so give them your sunniest available position.
They can also be grown indoors with sufficient light, although fruiting plants generally need much stronger light than herbs such as mint.
Affiliate opportunity: Chilli seeds + compact growing pots.
12. Edible Flowers
Best cocktail garden finishing touch
This is where your cocktail garden becomes ridiculously pretty.
Edible flowers can transform a simple drink into something that looks like it came from a very expensive bar.
Good options can include:
- Violas
- Pansies
- Nasturtiums
- Calendula
- Borage
Use them:
- Fresh as garnish
- Frozen into ice cubes
- Floating on cocktails
- Decorating pitchers
- On summer mocktails
Important: only use flowers you know are edible
Do not pick a random attractive flower and put it in someone’s drink.
Not all flowers are edible.
And even an edible species shouldn’t be used if it has been treated with pesticides or other chemicals that aren’t suitable for food crops.
Grow flowers specifically for edible use and identify them confidently before consuming them.
The Best Cocktail Garden for a Balcony or Patio
You absolutely don’t need all 12 plants.
In fact, I think a mini cocktail garden built around drinks you actually make is much more sensible.
Here are a few easy combinations.
The Mojito Garden
Grow:
Mint
The obvious essential.
Strawberries
For strawberry mojitos.
Lemon balm
For an extra citrusy herbal option.
Put them in separate pots, particularly the mint and lemon balm.
Both are enthusiastic growers and don’t need to be given unrestricted access to everyone else’s soil.
Add a lime tree if you live somewhere warm enough and have sufficient space, but don’t feel like a cocktail garden requires you to start producing your own citrus.
Buying the lime is allowed.
The Gin Garden
Grow:
Rosemary
Fantastic with citrus and botanical gin.
Thyme
For syrups and garnish.
Cucumber
For refreshing summer gin drinks.
Basil
Particularly good with fruity gin cocktails.
If space is limited, skip the cucumber and grow the three herbs in separate small pots.
The Summer Spritz Garden
Grow:
Strawberries
For muddling and garnish.
Basil
For aromatic fruity drinks.
Mint
Because mint belongs in basically every summer drinks garden.
Edible flowers
For making everything look approximately 70% more sophisticated.
This would be particularly lovely grouped together in coordinating pots on a sunny patio.
The Spicy Margarita Garden
Grow:
Chillies
Obviously.
Mint
Useful for cooling, fresh drinks.
Lemon balm
Adds citrus fragrance without taking up the space of a citrus tree.
If you have the right conditions, you could eventually add a potted lime.
Otherwise, continue buying limes like a normal person.
The Mocktail Garden
A cocktail garden doesn’t actually need alcohol.
In fact, many of these plants are brilliant for homemade non-alcoholic drinks.
I’d grow:
Mint
For lemonades, iced teas and muddled drinks.
Lemon balm
For citrusy herbal drinks.
Strawberries
For fruit purées and summer coolers.
Cucumber
For infused water and fresh coolers.
Edible flowers
Because alcohol-free drinks are still allowed to look fabulous.
Can You Grow a Cocktail Garden Without a Garden?
Absolutely.
This is probably my favourite thing about the whole idea.
You can grow a surprisingly useful cocktail garden in a handful of containers.
A balcony could hold:
- One pot of mint
- One basil
- One rosemary
- A strawberry planter
- One pot of edible flowers
That’s already enough to give you fresh ingredients for loads of different drinks.
Choose pots with drainage holes and match the container size to the mature plant.
👉 Shop outdoor herb pots with drainage
👉 Shop balcony planters
👉 Shop strawberry planters
👉 Shop compact raised planters
How to Grow a Cocktail Garden on a Windowsill
No balcony?
No patio?
No garden?
You can still grow a mini indoor cocktail garden.
The trick is choosing plants that stay relatively compact and can cope with container life.
I’d start with:
- Mint
- Basil
- Lemon balm
- Thyme
- Possibly rosemary
Put them on the brightest appropriate windowsill you have.
A south- or west-facing window will generally provide considerably more light than a dark windowsill facing away from strong sun, although conditions vary enormously by home and climate.
And remember that indoors isn’t automatically warm and bright enough just because you can see the plant.
If your herbs become:
- Leggy
- Pale
- Weak
- Sparse
they may need more light.
A small grow light can make an indoor herb garden much more practical where natural light is limited.
Read The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Grow Lights for Houseplants if you’re considering one.
Can You Grow Strawberries Indoors for Cocktails?
You can, but this is where an indoor cocktail garden becomes more demanding.
Herbs such as mint and basil are much easier.
Strawberries need strong light to flower and fruit successfully and may also need help with pollination indoors.
If you only have an ordinary windowsill, I’d focus on cocktail herbs and buy the fruit.
There’s absolutely no prize for making every ingredient yourself.
Can You Grow Citrus Indoors for Cocktails?
Technically, yes.
But I wouldn’t put lemon, lime and orange trees on a list of easy windowsill cocktail plants.
Citrus needs lots of light and can become fairly substantial.
If you have a very bright conservatory, greenhouse, sunny patio or appropriate indoor growing setup, a potted lemon or lime tree can be fantastic.
If you have a 40 cm kitchen windowsill?
Grow mint and buy a lime.
What Do You Need to Start a Cocktail Garden?
Not much.
For a simple container cocktail garden, you’ll need:
- Plants or seeds
- Pots with drainage holes
- Suitable potting mix
- Watering can
- Small pruning or herb snips
- Plant supports for crops such as cucumber
- A sunny growing position for light-loving plants
You can start with three plants and expand later.
👉 Shop herb growing kits
👉 Shop herb pots with drainage
👉 Shop herb snips
👉 Shop plant labels
👉 Shop seed starter trays
A Cocktail Garden Makes a Brilliant Gift
This is another little monetisation route I’d absolutely include.
Instead of buying someone yet another bottle of gin, you could create a small cocktail garden gift.
Put together:
- Mint
- Basil
- Rosemary
in three attractive pots.
Add plant labels and a cocktail book.
Which brings me neatly to…
Cocktail Garden Inspiration
If growing ingredients specifically for drinks has sent you down a rabbit hole, Drink Your Garden: Recipes, Stories and Tips from the Simple Goodness Cocktail Farm is an extremely natural companion to a cocktail garden.
It combines garden-grown ingredients with drink recipes and ideas for actually using what you’ve harvested.
I’d actually make this one of the more prominent affiliate links in the article rather than burying it at the bottom. Someone reading about creating a cocktail garden is exactly the audience likely to want the book.
How to Harvest Herbs for Cocktails
Don’t repeatedly pull individual leaves from random parts of the plant.
For many herbs, strategic harvesting can actually encourage bushier growth.
Use clean snips and cut just above an appropriate leaf node where possible.
This encourages branching rather than leaving long bare stems.
And don’t remove enormous amounts from a small plant at once.
The goal is:
cocktail + plant survives.
Not:
excellent mojito + deceased mint.
If you’re growing lots of herbs, read How to Harvest Herbs Without Killing the Plant.
Wash Everything Before Using It
This should be obvious, but it’s worth saying.
Wash homegrown ingredients before adding them to drinks.
And if you’re growing ingredients for consumption, be particularly careful about anything you spray onto the plants.
Products suitable for ornamental houseplants aren’t automatically appropriate for edible crops.
Check labels and only use treatments approved for edible plants according to their instructions.
What Is the Easiest Cocktail Garden to Grow?
If you’re a complete beginner, I’d start with just four plants:
Mint
Easy, productive and incredibly useful.
Basil
Fast growing and brilliant with fruit.
Rosemary
Long-lived and excellent for gin drinks.
Strawberries
Because eating the ingredients while you’re supposed to be harvesting them is part of gardening.
Those four give you a surprisingly versatile little drinks garden without requiring loads of space.
Best Cocktail Garden Plants for Small Spaces
If space is your biggest constraint, prioritise:
- Mint
- Basil
- Thyme
- Lemon balm
- Sage
- Edible flowers
All can be grown in relatively compact containers.
You could fit a genuinely useful cocktail garden onto a small balcony or patio without sacrificing the entire space.
Best Cocktail Garden Plants for Beginners
I’d choose:
- Mint
- Basil
- Lemon balm
- Thyme
- Strawberries
They’re useful, productive and relatively straightforward to grow in containers.
Once those are thriving, start adding the slightly fussier residents.
Lavender can wait until you’re emotionally prepared.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cocktail garden?
A cocktail garden is a collection of edible plants grown specifically for use in cocktails and other drinks. It can include herbs, fruits, vegetables and edible flowers.
What herbs are best for cocktails?
Mint, basil, rosemary, thyme, sage and lemon balm are all excellent cocktail herbs. The best selection depends on the drinks you enjoy.
Can you grow a cocktail garden in pots?
Yes. In fact, many cocktail ingredients are particularly well suited to container growing, including mint, basil, rosemary, thyme, strawberries and chillies.
Can I grow a cocktail garden indoors?
Yes, on a smaller scale. Mint, basil and lemon balm are good places to start on a bright windowsill. Fruiting plants generally require considerably stronger light.
What can I grow for gin cocktails?
Rosemary, thyme, basil, cucumber, mint and edible flowers are all useful additions to a gin-focused garden.
What should I grow for mojitos?
Mint is the essential ingredient. Strawberries are a useful addition for fruity mojitos, while lemon balm can add another fresh citrus-herbal flavour.
What can I grow for margaritas?
Chillies are fantastic for spicy margaritas. Mint and lemon balm are useful additions, while a potted lime tree is possible if you have sufficient space, light and suitable growing conditions.
What edible flowers can you put in cocktails?
Violas, pansies, nasturtiums, calendula and borage can be edible depending on species and variety. Always positively identify flowers and ensure they haven’t been treated with unsuitable chemicals before using them in drinks.
Can I grow cocktail ingredients on a balcony?
Absolutely. A few containers of herbs, strawberries and edible flowers can make an excellent balcony cocktail garden.
Do I need to grow every cocktail ingredient myself?
God, no.
Grow the ingredients that are easy, expensive, particularly delicious fresh or simply fun to pick.
Buy the lemons.
Buy the limes.
Buy the gin.
This is supposed to be enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
A cocktail garden is one of those gardening projects that sounds elaborate but can actually be incredibly simple.
You don’t need an orchard, a greenhouse and an enormous vegetable patch.
Start with a pot of mint.
Add some basil.
Grow strawberries if you’ve got enough light.
Perhaps add rosemary for gin drinks or chillies if margaritas are more your thing.
Before long, you’ve got a small edible garden that gives you ingredients you genuinely look forward to harvesting.
And you can scale it to whatever space you have.
A raised bed in a garden.
Five pots on a patio.
Three herbs on a balcony.
Or mint and basil sitting on a sunny kitchen windowsill.
Grow what you’ll actually use.
Because there’s very little point lovingly nurturing sage for six months if every drink you make is a mojito.
Continue Reading
- How to Harvest Herbs Without Killing the Plant
- How to Grow Strawberries for Homemade Jam
- Lavender Is Not Easy and Garden Centres Are Gaslighting You
- The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Grow Lights for Houseplants
- Easy Flowers to Grow in Pots