How to Grow a Beer Garden

Grow your own ingredients inspired by a love of the frothy beverage.

By: Melissa Caughey

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I recently decided to put a twist on a traditional container garden. The kids and I transformed the galvanized tub that we typically use to hold drinks at our barbecues into a beer garden! Popular plants used in beer making include hops, lavender, cilantro, mint, sweet woodruff, cardamom, ginger and berries. We took a trip to our local garden center and selected a few of our favorites. This garden not only serves as a great centerpiece for an outdoor party, it is practical too. All of the herbs can be harvested for future use in cooking and beer making. The perennial herbs, such as the hops, can also be transplanted into the ground during the early fall to provide a new crop next spring.

Supplies:

A planting container with drainage holes

Potting soil

Three 24-inch branches—I clipped them from the woods.

Three empty beer bottles with the labels removed

Beer garden plants—hops, lavender, mint, cardamom, sweet woodruff, ginger, lemongrass, cilantro

Moss

Garden twine

Hand-held garden pruners

See the gallery below for all the how-to instructions. Happy planting!

Beer Garden How-To

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Beer Garden

A very apropos trellis made from empty beer bottles!

A Clever Centerpiece

This beer inspired centerpiece is perfect for your next summer cook-out.

A Galvanized Tub

Add proper drainage holes to the bottom of your container as needed and fill it halfway with potting soil.

Hops To It

Plant the hops and evenly space the beer bottles around the hops. Anchor them into the soil halfway down.

Add More Plants

Finish you garden by planting the remaining plants. I've planted hops, rosemary, lavender, sweet woodruff and chocolate mint.

Craft the Trellis

Add a twig to each beer bottle.

Knot the Twigs

Tie the tops of the twigs together with gardening twine.

Encourage Climbing

Gently wrap and guide your hops around the trellis.

Trim the Tops

Trim the tops of the trellis twigs to similar lengths.

Add Moss

For the final touch, cover any exposed soil with moss. This helps to keep the garden from drying out too quickly. Be sure to regularly water your garden.

Harvest the Ingredients

If you enjoy home brewing, look into incorporating your beer garden plantings into your next batch of brew.

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