Taste the Flavors of Summer Grown Right in Your Garden
Herbs wear many hats in the backyard garden, from helping manage pests and enhancing garden beauty to promoting wellness and adding fresh flavor. Growing your own herbs means you can step outside for a few sprigs to garnish your meals and drinks.
They can also become the foundation for creative, delicious, homegrown refreshments all summer long. Discover unique recipes featuring some of the best and easiest herbs to grow in your summer garden. These recipes are perfect for using extra herbs, and the more you harvest, the more many herbs will grow.
What You’ll Find in This Guide
What’s Taking Root
Your summer herb garden essentials at a glance:
- Harvest herbs regularly to encourage fresh, bushy growth.
- Use basil to add a sweet, aromatic flavor to summer lemonade.
- Harvest chamomile flowers for a light, soothing iced tea.
- Grow mint in containers to help control its spreading roots.
- Pick herbs shortly before preparing drinks for the freshest flavor.
Growing Herbs for Summer Drinks
Fresh herbs add color, fragrance, and garden-grown flavor to refreshing summer beverages. Many herbs respond well to frequent harvesting, making homemade drinks a delicious way to enjoy your garden while encouraging continued plant growth.
For the best flavor, harvest herbs in the morning after the dew has dried but before the heat of the day. Rinse them gently and use them as soon as possible.
Basil
One of the most delicious and versatile herbs of summer, basil is excellent for a variety of culinary uses. Plant it near tomatoes and other fruiting plants to create a beautiful and productive edible garden.
Regular harvesting encourages basil to become fuller and produce even more flavorful leaves. When your plant begins producing an abundance of basil, use it to make this refreshing Strawberry Basil Lemonade for sipping in the sunshine.
Garden Tip: Pinch off developing flower buds to help your basil continue producing flavorful leaves. Cut just above a set of leaves to encourage the plant to branch.
Strawberry Basil Lemonade
Sweet strawberries, freshly squeezed lemons, and aromatic basil come together in this colorful summer refresher.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
- 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 6 to 8 lemons
- 1 cup sugar or honey
- 1 cup water for the basil syrup
- 4 cups cold water
- Ice
- Lemon slices and fresh strawberries for garnish
Instructions
- Make the basil syrup. Combine the sugar or honey and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Heat until dissolved, then remove from the heat.
- Add the basil leaves to the syrup, gently pressing them down. Let the mixture steep for 20 to 30 minutes, then strain and discard the leaves.
- Blend the strawberries until smooth.
- Combine the strawberry purée, lemon juice, basil syrup, and 4 cups of cold water in a pitcher. Stir well.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve over ice and garnish with basil sprigs, lemon slices, and fresh strawberries.
Chamomile
Chamomile is a beautiful herb grown for its delicate, apple-scented flowers rather than its leaves. It is traditionally enjoyed as a calming herbal tea and is often associated with relaxation and winding down at the end of the day.
Garden Tip: Chamomile attracts beneficial insects and adds charming, daisy-like flowers to herb gardens, edible landscapes, and decorative containers.
Chamomile Honey Iced Tea
Chamomile is not just for bedtime. Its light floral flavor makes a wonderfully soothing summer iced tea, especially when paired with honey and fresh lemon.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons fresh or dried chamomile flowers
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 teaspoon honey, or more to taste
- Ice
- Lemon slices
Instructions
- Steep the chamomile flowers in hot water for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Strain the tea and stir in the honey while it is still warm.
- Allow the tea to cool, then refrigerate until chilled.
- Serve over ice with fresh lemon slices.
Mint
Cooling and refreshing, mint is a must-have for summer drinks. There are many varieties to choose from, each offering its own distinctive aroma and flavor.
Classic spearmint varieties such as ‘Kentucky Colonel’ beautifully complement the smoky notes of bourbon in a mint julep. Tropical favorites such as pineapple mint can add a fresh, fruity twist to lemonades, teas, and blended drinks.
Garden Tip: Plant mint in a container because it spreads vigorously through underground stems. Keeping it contained makes it easier to manage while still providing plenty to harvest.
Classic Colonel Kentucky Mint Julep
Nothing says warm-weather refreshment quite like a mint julep. This version keeps the tradition alive with plenty of freshly harvested mint.
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 fresh mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon sugar or sweetener of choice
- 2 ounces bourbon
- Crushed ice
- Fresh mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Gently muddle the mint leaves with the sugar in the bottom of a glass.
- Add the bourbon and fill the glass with crushed ice.
- Stir until the outside of the glass becomes frosty.
- Garnish with a generous sprig of fresh mint.
Mocktail Option: Replace the bourbon with chilled ginger ale, sparkling water, or unsweetened iced tea for a refreshing alcohol-free garden drink.
Grow a Refreshing Summer Herb Garden
A summer herb garden provides fresh flavor, beautiful fragrance, and an almost endless supply of possibilities for homemade drinks. Whether you prefer the sweetness of basil, the delicate flowers of chamomile, or the cooling flavor of mint, these easy-to-grow herbs can make summer refreshments even more special.
Visit your neighborhood Armstrong Garden Centers to explore fresh herbs, containers, soils, and everything you need to grow your own garden-inspired ingredients. Our knowledgeable team is here to help you choose the right herbs and start growing with confidence.
