Thank you for joining us at Wallflower Mercantile, we hope you had fun and learned a little along the way! You’re now the proud owner of a curated collection of versatile herbs and drinkable blooms — perfect for elevating your favorite cocktails. This page will guide you through caring for your container garden, introduce each plant, and inspire you with simple ways to use them at your next cocktail party. Let’s get growing!

Cocktail Container Garden

General Care instructions:

Your container garden is designed to be both beautiful and useful — with just a little care, it will thrive well into the cold months!

Light: Place your container in a sunny spot that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight per day — a patio, porch, or bright backyard corner works great.

Watering: Water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Herbs prefer soil that is moist but never soggy. On hot days, you may need to water daily. Be sure your planter drains well (yours has drainage holes built in!). If the leafs start to turn a bit yellow, this typically means the plant is getting too much water.

Harvesting: Snip herbs frequently to encourage bushier growth and prevent bolting. Always use clean pruners and harvest from the top, just above a set of leaves.

Maintenance: Pinch off any flowers (except lavender!) to keep herbs producing leaves. If a plant looks overgrown or tired, feel free to trim it back — most herbs bounce back beautifully.

Pro Tip: Use your herbs often! The more you harvest, the more they grow — and nothing beats cooking or mixing a cocktail with fresh, homegrown flavor.

Meet your cocktail herbs

Care:

  • Needs 6–8 hours of full sun daily.

  • Water regularly and pinch off flowers to keep leaves tender.

  • Harvest frequently for bushier growth. If it gets flowers/bolts it will stop producing.

Cocktail Suggestions: Peppery and fragrant, basil shines especially well in summer-forward drinks.

  • Basil Gimlet – Gin, lime juice, muddled basil, simple syrup

  • Strawberry Basil Smash – Vodka or gin, muddled strawberries and basil, lemon juice

  • Cucumber Basil Martini – Vodka, muddled cucumber and basil, dry vermouth

  • Basil Bourbon Lemonade – Bourbon, lemon juice, basil syrup

  • Basil Paloma – Tequila, grapefruit juice, basil syrup, lime, soda water

Basil

Field of lavender with purple flowers

Lavender

Care:

  • Needs 6–8 hours of full sun daily.

  • Let soil dry between waterings—lavender hates wet feet.

  • Trim spent blooms to encourage new flowers and bushier growth.

Cocktail Suggestions: Floral and calming, a little goes a long way with this herb. Great for infusions and syrups.

  • Lavender French 75 – Gin, lemon juice, lavender syrup, champagne

  • Lavender Lemon Drop – Vodka, triple sec, lavender syrup, lemon juice

  • Lavender Gin Sour – Gin, egg white, lemon juice, lavender syrup

  • Lavender Bee’s Knees – Gin, honey-lavender syrup, lemon juice

  • Lavender Mojito – Rum, lavender syrup, lime, mint, soda water (with a hint of lavender)

Lemon Balm

Care:

  • Prefers 4–6 hours of sun; some afternoon shade is okay.

  • Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy.

  • Pinch back regularly to prevent flowering and encourage fullness.

Cocktail Suggestions: Lightly citrusy and slightly minty, lemon balm adds freshness and aroma to many drinks.

  • Lemon Balm Gin Fizz – Gin, lemon juice, lemon balm syrup, soda water

  • Lemon Balm Mojito – White rum, muddled lemon balm, lime, simple syrup, club soda

  • Lemon Balm Vodka Collins – Vodka, lemon balm syrup, lemon juice, soda

  • Cucumber & Lemon Balm Spritz – Cucumber vodka, muddled lemon balm, lime, prosecco

  • Lemon Balm & Elderflower Cooler – St. Germain, lemon balm syrup, lemon juice, soda water

Close-up of mint leaves with sharp green texture.

Mint

Care:

  • Thrives in full sun to part shade.

  • Keep soil consistently moist—mint loves water.

  • Trim often to prevent flowering and spreading.

Cocktail Suggestions: Bright, crisp, and universally loved — mint is a cocktail hero.

  • Classic Mojito – Rum, mint, lime, sugar, soda water

  • Mint Julep – Bourbon, mint, sugar, crushed ice

  • Southside – Gin, mint, lime juice, simple syrup

  • Watermelon Mint Cooler – Vodka or gin, muddled watermelon and mint, lime, soda

  • Mint Cucumber Mule – Vodka, mint, cucumber, ginger beer, lime

Rosemary

Care:

  • Full sun (minimum 6 hours)- has beautiful blue flowers

  • Prefers drier soil — allow the top 1 inch to dry out before watering again.

  • Snip often to encourage bushy growth and prevent it from getting woody.

Cocktail Suggestions: Piney and bold, rosemary pairs beautifully with citrus and smoke-forward spirits.

  • Rosemary Gin & Tonic – Gin, tonic, rosemary sprig, orange twist

  • Rosemary Bourbon Sour – Bourbon, rosemary simple syrup, lemon juice

  • Rosemary Grapefruit Spritz – Vodka, rosemary syrup, grapefruit juice, soda

  • Smoky Rosemary Margarita – Mezcal, lime, rosemary syrup, sea salt rim

  • Rosemary Negroni – Gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, rosemary garnish

Sage

Care:

  • Full sun (minimum 6 hours).

  • Pinch off flowers as they appear to prolong leaf production.

  • Water when the top inch of soil is dry.

Cocktail Suggestions: Sage has a soft, earthy warmth with just enough peppery edge to stand up to bold spirits. It’s especially lovely in fall-inspired drinks and pairs beautifully with honey, citrus, and smoke.

  • Sage Bee’s Knees – Gin, lemon juice, honey-sage syrup

  • Maple Sage Bourbon Sour – Bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup, muddled sage

  • Pear & Sage Sparkler – Pear vodka, lemon juice, sage syrup, prosecco

  • Sage Margarita – Tequila, lime juice, Cointreau, sage syrup

  • Mezcal Sage Smash – Mezcal, muddled sage, lime juice, simple syrup

Thyme

Care:

  • Needs 6+ hours of full sun daily.

  • Allow soil to dry between waterings—thyme prefers it on the dry side.

  • Trim regularly to keep it compact and prevent flowering.

Cocktail Suggestions: Savory and earthy, thyme adds depth — especially great in syrups and infusions.

  • Thyme Greyhound – Vodka or gin, grapefruit juice, thyme syrup

  • Pear & Thyme Fizz – Pear vodka, thyme syrup, lemon, soda

  • Blackberry Thyme Smash – Bourbon, muddled blackberries and thyme, lemon

  • Thyme Margarita – Tequila, thyme syrup, lime juice, triple sec

  • Thyme Paloma – Tequila, thyme syrup, grapefruit soda, lime

Mix, Muddle, Sip, Repeat!
Looking to print your own mini herbal cocktail book? Download my free Cocktail Garden Companion Cards—a handy set of herb care tips and cocktail pairings to keep your drinks garden-fresh all season long. Perfect for your bar cart, kitchen, or garden shed.

Cheers to sipping straight from the garden!