Gardening for Bartenders, A List

1. Baker’s Heirloom Seeds is a politically active organization that leans hard right. 

2. Lovage does indeed replace celery in a Bloody Mary, and it’s a winter hardy perennial (yay!). Lovage gets bitter in the heat though. You might pretend to like it (because you grew it) during peak summer

3. Lavender is a drama queen and periodically offs herself without much warning

4. Yes you can grow enough mint to supply a whole bar’s worth of Mojitos for an entire season and still have leftover for pesto or dog shampoo

5. If you plant one cherry tree, you might forget what variety it is, so when it doesn’t bear fruit you may plant another cherry tree to pollinate it. The pollinator may be incorrect, so perhaps yet another cherry tree. Eight years, three trees and no fruit. Anyway. Open to suggestions and if anyone wants to stop by my house and assess, I’ll reward you in cherries.

6. If you sacrifice the strawberries to the birds, they won’t eat the currants or blueberries. 

7. Lemon thyme is for footfall, bourbon, and berries

8. Sage loves Denver, grows until nearly February, the blossoms are edible, and in the fall you can wrap bundles with twine to smudge bars and cleanse them of unwise choices

9. Chamomile is so pretty. He self seeds; he thrives in the untended spots; he shows up right through the spring snow when you think you can’t take one more day of the cold and gray -but chefs and bartenders both find him too strong to be of much use

10. Lemongrass is fickle, but will reward you in tonic

11. Mexican tarragon grows better in Colorado than French tarragon, and it’s a perennial. See also: Mexican Sunflowers.

12. Oh! Sunflowers cook up like artichokes  

13. Pesticide free roses are handy. Other fun blooms that are rarely considered: violets, arugula blossoms, chive buds, woodsorrel blossoms, sage petals and pansies.

14. Forget about the blossoms, the leaves of Nasturtiums make a yummy bitter sandwich 

15. Your landscape may very well have Oregon Grape berries. They’re edible.

16. Flaming rosemary! 

17. Crabapple yeast starter

18. Bartenders and chefs love the idea of a garden