Herbs for Summer Beverages: Teas, Shrubs & Mocktails

Cool off with refreshing, herb-infused drinks!

Summer heat calls for drinks that truly refresh. Why settle for boring store-bought options when you can craft your own beautiful, herb-infused beverages? From iced teas and tangy shrubs to sophisticated mocktails, herbs bring bright flavors and gentle wellness benefits to your summer sipping.

Iced Herbal Teas to Soothe and Refresh

• Brew strong herbal tea with mint, lemon balm, hibiscus, or chamomile. Chill and serve over ice with fresh citrus slices. Check out our Summer Tea Blends.
• Add a touch of honey or herbal simple syrup for gentle sweetness.
• Tip: Try cold-infusing overnight in the fridge for mellow flavor.
  
  
  
• Making Simple Syrup

o    1  cup sugar

o    1  cup water

o    1 cup loosely packed fresh herb leaves, savory or sweet you can use any herb or edible flower

Place sugar and water in a small pan over medium heat until sugar is fully dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the herbs. Allow to steep until the liquid reaches room temperature (15-30 minutes) and strain and discard herbs. Place syrup in a glass container or squeeze bottle if you have it.  Cover and chill for a couple hours. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to a month.  

Herbal Shrubs for Tart Complexity

• Make a shrub (drinking vinegar) with herbs, fruit, sugar, and vinegar.
• Basil-strawberry, rosemary-peach, or thyme-blueberry are classic summer combos.
• Mix 1–2 tablespoons of shrub concentrate with sparkling water for a sophisticated non-alcoholic cocktail.
  
  
  
• Roasted Raspberry-Thyme Shrub
• 2 cups raspberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 thyme sprigs (or 2 tsp dried)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

Place raspberries in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and toss with sugar, 6 thyme sprigs. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight, until raspberries release their juice.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Bring the pan to room temperature.  Roast the raspberries and their juice for about 25 minutes until the berries start to float.  Remove the pan from the oven and mash the berries lightly with a spoon.  Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve over a measuring cup.  Pour vinegar over the berries in sieve and press to remove any last juice.  Pour liquid into a pint jar, add remaining thyme and cap with a plastic lid, shake and refrigerate 1 day to 1 week before using.  (Will keep up to 1 year in the refrigerator.)

TO USE: Combine 1 ounce of Shrub with 4 ounces of seltzer or sparkling water.

This recipe is from The Complete Guide to Pickling by Julie Laing (Rockridge Press:2020)

Elegant Mocktails with Garden-Fresh Flavor

• Muddle fresh herbs (like basil, mint, or lavender) with citrus or berries.
• Add simple syrup, club soda, or tonic for a refreshing fizz.
• Example: Faux Gin and Tonic with your own herbal gin blend and tonic water garnished with cucumber and lemon.

Thyme without Gin Mocktail

• Thyme Simple Syrup
• fresh lemon juice
• Substitute gin
• Garnish: thyme sprigs

To make as a single cocktail – 1 part thyme simple syrup, 2 parts fresh lemon juice, 1 part zero proof Gin or regular gin, add to a large rocks glass with ice and about 3 ounces of sparkling water – part as ¾ ounce jigger makes a 6-ounce cocktail.

Closing

Summer herbs are more than just pretty—they’re the secret to memorable drinks that cool and delight. Experiment with your garden bounty and toast to a season of herbal refreshment!

How to Grow Herbs You’ll Actually Use

No more mystery plants taking up garden space—these herbs are the real MVPs of your kitchen and teacup!

Let’s be honest: we’ve all planted something that seemed like a great idea at the time—only to forget what it was or why we planted it. The secret to a thriving herb garden isn’t growing every herb under the sun. It’s growing the ones you’ll actually use—often, and with joy!

So let’s dig into the most useful culinary and tea herbs you can grow, how to care for them, and how to make them the stars of your daily routine.

SIDE NOTE - I am playing with emojis - let me know if they help in reading the posts or interfere.

🌿 Culinary Herbs You’ll Use Again and Again

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Best for: Pesto, pasta, caprese salad, tomato anything.
Growing tip: Loves heat and hates cold. Plant after danger of frost and harvest frequently to keep it bushy. Great container plant – use a rich potting soil mix.

💡Quick use: Blend with olive oil and freeze in ice cube trays for instant pasta pizzazz.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Best for: Garnishing everything, soups, tabbouleh, chimichurri.
Growing tip: Flat-leaf is easier to chop, curly adds texture. Parsley is a biennial, but treat it as an annual and harvest to the ground in fall and remove the root. One plant or two is all you will need for a household. Plant in full sun where the soil drains well.

💡Quick use: Chop and toss over roasted veggies or mix into butter for a fast herb spread.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

Best for: Eggs, baked potatoes, creamy dips.
Growing tip: Perennial and tough as nails. Cut back always at the bottom of the stem to keep fresh
growth coming. Can grow in pots and will winter over there, or grow in the ground.  Harvest the flowers in spring to make vinegar and cut down on spreading.

💡Quick use: Snip onto scrambled eggs or stir into sour cream with a pinch of salt.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Best for: Roasts, stews, soups, veggies, bread.
Growing tip: Prefers dry feet—plant in well-drained soil and don’t overwater. Needs full sun. Choose English, French or German for the best cooking flavors. The low growing varieties like creeping red or orange spice are great as a cascade in a container.

💡Quick use: Sprinkle fresh sprigs on roasted chicken or infuse in olive oil.

thyme in the walkway

Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

Best for: Pizza, pasta, Greek and Italian dishes.
Growing tip: Can spread like crazy—great for containers, but can freeze overwinter and may not return.  If you want to grow the same plant next year, place it in the ground and harvest frequently. Check the flavor when you buy, if there is no flavor now, it will not develop any later.  Choose Greek for best cooking.  The flavor of oregano is stronger when dried.

💡Quick use: Mix into tomato sauce or dry and blend with garlic and sea salt for a quick seasoning.

🍵 Herbs That Make Tea Time Magical

Mint (Mentha spp.)

Best for: Iced tea, mojitos, digestive blends.

Growing tip: Plant in containers unless you want mint to take over your yard (and your neighbor’s). Give it full sun and water when dry.  Harvest often to get a bushy plant and shelter for overwintering.

💡Quick use: Toss a few leaves in hot water for an instant fresh tea or muddle into lemonade.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Best for: Calming evening teas, lemony tea blends.
Growing tip: Easy to grow and self-seeds freely. Cut back to keep it tidy and lush. Cut to the ground when you see flowers in late June or July and it will reward you with less spreading and lovely bright leaves for harvesting in just a couple weeks. Dies back to the ground in winter to start new the following growing season.

💡Quick use: Steep with mint for a bright and relaxing afternoon tea.

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

Best for: Soothing bedtime teas, herbal blends.

Growing tip: Loves sun and well-drained soil, not very picky about soil quality (AKA will grow anywhere.) Plant seed every few weeks for a constant crop through the season so you can harvest flowers frequently.  Dry on screens or use fresh for tea and relaxing baths.

💡Quick use: Dry the blossoms and mix with lemon balm for a gentle sleep aid.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Best for: Floral tea blends, baking, bath soaks.
Growing tip: Needs full sun and good drainage. Don’t overwater in a container, but grows best in the ground where water does not pool, especially in winter.  Mulch at the end of the season to protect the crown and do not give up too early in spring. It can be slow to revive if the spring is wet or chilly.

💡Quick use: Add a pinch to black tea or honey for a relaxing twist.

Lavender 'Grosso'

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Best for: Digestive teas, licorice-flavored blends.
Growing tip: Grows tall! Needs space and full sun. Caterpillars love it. Harvest to get fronds but let some flower so you get fennel seed. Collect seeds using a paper bag for later use. Grow fron seed to get summer harvests.

💡Quick use: Steep crushed seeds with mint after meals to soothe digestion.

🌱 Herb Garden Starter Tips

• Start small. Choose 3–5 herbs you already use in cooking or tea.
• Use containers if space is limited—or to corral runaway herbs like mint and lemon balm.
• Harvest often to keep plants productive and prevent flowering (especially basil and mint).
• Label your plants. Trust me, parsley and cilantro look nearly identical when young. And anything in the mint family will look the same when mature.

🍴 Bonus: Mix & Match Pairings

Try growing herbs in themed combos:

• Italian Garden: Basil, oregano, parsley, thyme
• Tea Lover’s Mix: Mint, lemon balm, chamomile, lavender
• Allium Corner: Chives, garlic chives, bunching onions

With just a few well-chosen herbs, your garden (and kitchen) can transform. No more guilt over neglected plants—only delicious, fragrant, fresh-from-the-garden flavor in your meals and mugs. Now that’s an herb garden worth growing!

Edible Flower and Thyme Shortbread Cookies - How to

Edible Flower and Thyme Shortbread Cookies

• 14 Tbsp (2 sticks minus 2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice (optional, but use 2 more Tbsp butter in its place)
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
• 3-4 Tbsp minced fresh edible flower petals (calendula, nasturtium, violets, pansy, borage, lavender, or any other edible herb flower in a mix or singly)
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
• pinch salt

Steps:

Cream together the butter and sugar.

Then add the egg yolk, lemon juice and lemon zest (if using) and stir to combine. 

Then add the flour, arrowroot, flowers, thyme, and salt.  

Gently stir everything together until the dough barely holds together. It will seem a bit floury.  

Take the dough out of the bowl and form it into a log shape. 

Wrap it tightly with parchment paper, twisting the ends to help hold it all together. 

Put in the fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes, or until firm. 

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 300°F. Unwrap the log and slice the log into 1/4 inch rounds. 

Put them on a parchment lined baking sheet, about an inch or so apart. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check them closely after 25 minutes. 

Take them out when only the edges just barely start to turn golden. The centers will still be fairly soft. 

Let them cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will firm up as they cool. 

To make them special, you can add fresh flowers to the centers of the cookies while they are still warm.    

                                            

Here are the directions grouped together:

Directions:

Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the egg yolk, lemon juice and lemon zest (if using) and stir to combine. Then add the flour, arrowroot, flowers, thyme, and salt.  Gently stir everything together until the dough barely holds together. It will seem a bit floury.  Take the dough out of the bowl and form it into a log shape. Wrap it tightly with parchment paper, twisting the ends to help hold it all together. Put in the fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes, or until firm. You can store the dough for several days in the fridge, or for several weeks in the freezer, if need be. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 300°F. Slice the log into 1/4 inch rounds. Put them on a parchment lined baking sheet, about an inch or so apart. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check them closely after 25 minutes. Take them out when only the edges just barely start to turn golden. The centers will still be fairly soft. Add fresh flowers to the center of the cookies, then let them cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will firm up as they cool. Recipe adapted from www.growforagecookferment.com

Easter & Spring Entertaining with Herbal Dips & Spreads

Spring is the perfect time to gather with friends and family, enjoying fresh flavors and vibrant colors inspired by the season. Whether you’re hosting an Easter brunch, a casual garden party, or simply looking for new ways to incorporate herbs into your entertaining, these herbal dips and spreads are sure to impress. Featuring a mix of Backyard Patch Herbs blends and fresh individual herbs, these recipes are easy to prepare and bursting with seasonal flavor.

Garden Fresh Herb & Lemon Goat Cheese Spread

A bright and creamy spread that pairs perfectly with crackers, crostini, or fresh vegetables.

• 8 oz goat cheese, softened
• 2 Tbls olive oil
• 1 Tbls fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbls Backyard Patch Herbs Fine Herbs Seasoning or a mix of fresh thyme, parsley, and chives
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix the softened goat cheese with olive oil, lemon juice, and zest. Stir in the BYP Fine Herbs Seasoning or fresh herbs, blending until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers, bread, or sliced veggies.

 

Spring Pea & Mint Hummus

A fresh twist on classic hummus, this recipe incorporates the sweetness of peas and the brightness of mint.

• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas (thawed)
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tbls tahini
• 2 Tbls lemon juice
• 2 Tbls olive oil
• 1 Tbls fresh mint, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, blend the peas and chickpeas until smooth. Add tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic, pulsing until combined. Stir in the fresh mint and season with salt and pepper. Serve with pita chips or fresh cut pita, or fresh vegetables.

Dill & Chive Yogurt Dip

A creamy, herbaceous dip perfect for spring vegetables or as a topping for roasted potatoes.

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbls Backyard Patch Herbs Marcy’s Dill Dip Mix or a mix of fresh dill and chives
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled with vegetables, chips, or use as a sauce for grilled meats.

 

Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Cream Cheese Spread

A rich and flavorful spread that pairs well with bagels, crackers, or sandwiches.

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbls sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 Tbls Backyard Patch Herbs Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Mix or fresh basil, chopped
• 1 Tbls olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese with olive oil until smooth. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and BYP Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Mix or basil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature for easy spreading.

 

Herbal Entertaining Tips

• Pair your dips with fresh spring vegetables like radishes, snap peas, carrots, and cucumbers.

• Use a variety of crackers, breads, and pita chips to offer different textures and flavors.

• Garnish with fresh herbs or edible flowers for a beautiful and festive presentation.

• Make the dips ahead of time so flavors can develop and you can focus on enjoying your gathering.

These herbal dips and spreads are simple yet flavorful additions to any Easter or springtime gathering. Whether using Backyard Patch Herbs blends or fresh garden herbs, you’ll bring fresh, seasonal flavors to the table with ease. Happy spring entertaining!

 

8 Herbs That Symbolize Love and Romance

Herbs and other plants have a centuries-long history of symbolizing love and devotion. In ancient Athens, people wove mint and marigolds into bridal garlands and wreaths, and in classical Rome, brides carried wheat for fertility and rosemary to ensure the groom's fertility. In medieval times, European brides carried pungent herbs such as garlic and chives to keep spirits from disrupting their happiness. The pinnacle of romantic use of herbs may have come during Victorian times, when roses, lavender, pansies, and marjoram were carefully combined with one another and with other herbs to create formulas for romantic success and contentment.

Here are eight modern herbs you can use to communicate your love and romantic intentions.

Purple Basil

Basil -- Basil became a symbol of love in Italy. In the folklore of Moldavia, a young man who accepts basil from a young woman is destined to fall in love with her.

Calendula 

Calendula -- Early Christians often brought these flowers to adorn statues of the Virgin Mary, which may be the origin of its use in love charms. According to the modern language of herbs, calendula means "joy." What a lovely thing to say to your beloved. You can add calendula to your teas, but even more romantic, add it to your romantic bath by candlelight. For young valentines, a sweet calendula-flavored soap is a gentle and loving gesture.

Thyme -- Thyme has a long history during which it has symbolized many things. According to the modern language of herbs, thyme brings with it the meaning of affection, which is perfect for either young love or deep friendship. What better way to express your devotion to someone than to include a sprig of thyme in a bouquet.

patchouli

Patchouli -- The heady scent of patchouli is not surprisingly included in a list of romance herbs. According to the modern language of herbs, patchouli means "passion." To use patchouli to its fullest extent, tuck some dried patchouli into small sleep pillows or sachet. The rich, lusty scent can entice your love to feel romantic.

Yarrow -- In the modern language of herbs, yarrow means "everlasting love." Yarrow has a naturally spicy flavor, so use a light hand, and include it in your teas or baths.

                

               Lavender -- In the modern language of love,                                     Lavender means "devotion and undying love." It is                           no surprise that lavender has always been                                           considered a herb of love since its delicious and                                 romantic scent is adored by almost everyone. An                               increasingly popular modern tradition is to use 

               dried lavender petals as wedding confetti.

Oregano -- Although we think of oregano primarily as a cooking herb, the ancient Greeks believed that it was the herb of Aphrodite, goddess of love, who is said to have created it as the herb of joy for her garden.

Fennel -- With its soft, feathery, delicate growth habit, fennel seems perfect for a list of modern love herbs. In the language of herbs, this sweet, heady-scented herb means "flattery." Include its tall, shimmery fronds, in a bouquet of herbs and flowers to present to your loved one. Add fennel to your Valentine's Day meal, sprinkle it on your salad, or dessert dishes.