From cold-weather crops to cozy cocktails, sisters Venise Cunningham and Belinda Kelly are helping gardeners across the West pour a little more purpose into their fall harvest. On their 10-acre Simple Goodness Sisters Cocktail Farm in Buckley, Washington, the duo grows herbs, edible flowers, and fruits exclusively for drink-making. Their new book, Drink Your Garden, offers 100+ seasonal recipes for cocktails and mocktails—think pumpkin spice espresso martinis and lavender honey cordial spritzes—plus gardening tips to grow your own drink-worthy ingredients.
We tapped the sisters to share their favorite autumn garden rituals, surprising seasonal plant picks, and how to turn your backyard (or windowsill) into a bar cart that blooms. Let’s raise a glass to the season—and your own garden-grown happy hour!
Customizing Your Garden to Your Taste
From Drink Your Garden by Belinda Kelly and Venise Cunningham. Copyright © 2025. Photographs by Rylea Foehl. Reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved.
“Cocktail gardens can be as small as a windowsill or as sprawling as a back forty,” say the Simple Goodness Sisters. For beginners, the sisters recommend four MVP plants that thrive across the West:
- Lavender: Thrives almost anywhere with a raised bed and some gravel under the roots.
- Nasturtium: A spicy edible flower that pairs beautifully with lime in a margarita.
- Calendula: Hardworking, self-seeding stunner that dries beautifully for rimming salts and garnishes.
- Toothache Plant: Adds a fizzy, tingling sensation to cocktails (and conversation).
What Makes a Cocktail Garden Work
From Drink Your Garden by Belinda Kelly and Venise Cunningham. Copyright © 2025. Photographs by Rylea Foehl. Reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved.
A cocktail garden isn’t much different from your typical herb or veggie patch; the main difference is what you grow and why. The sisters explain, “The only difference is we choose plants with cocktails in mind,” like smaller marigold varieties perfect for garnishes, plus fruits and veggies you can juice or pickle, and plenty of edible flowers and herbs to add flavor and flair.
If space is tight, don’t worry about crowding your plants a bit. “Mother Nature doesn’t always follow the seed packet spacing,” they say. “Neither do we.” With good watering and natural fertilizer (they’re fans of fish meal), plants thrive even when cozy—and crowding helps keep weeds down.
For easy-care gardening, focus on perennials and self-seeders. “We dedicate half our garden to these low-maintenance plants.” Their advice? Spend a couple of years establishing these reliable growers so you can save your energy for the annuals that need extra love.
What to Prep & Plant Now
From Drink Your Garden by Belinda Kelly and Venise Cunningham. Copyright © 2025. Photographs by Rylea Foehl. Reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved.
October and November are for both sipping and seeding. “Fall is our favorite time of year on the farm,” the Simple Goodness Sisters say. Here’s what to do now.
- Plant: Garlic, onions, and carrots to overwinter for extra-sweet juice come spring.
- Harvest: Pumpkins, pears, apples, and herbs to preserve, press, and dry.
- Dehydrate: Herbs like rosemary and thyme for holiday infusions and syrups.
- Freeze: Excess produce (like figs or tomatoes) now so you can make shrubs, syrups, or tinctures later—once the garden rests.
Garden-to-Glass October & November
From Drink Your Garden by Belinda Kelly and Venise Cunningham. Copyright © 2025. Photographs by Rylea Foehl. Reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved.
Some of the best cocktail ingredients are peaking right now—and begging to be preserved:
- Beets become vibrant shrubs and deep-hued syrups.
- Apples are juiced, canned, or turned into cordials.
- Tomatoes & tomatillos, underripe and rescued from fall rains, get juiced and frozen for a winter Verde Mary.
- Pumpkins & squash are roasted and pureed for spiced syrups or a Butternut Old Fashioned.
“Even greens get a moment,” the sisters say. “Our Kale and Chard Vodka is made every year and served all year long. The cold sweetens leafy greens, so fall is their time to shine.”
Sip the Season
Straight from the pages of Drink Your Garden, these DIY cocktail components bring a bold splash of garden flavor to your glass.
Get the Book
From Drink Your Garden by Belinda Kelly and Venise Cunningham. Copyright © 2025. Photographs by Rylea Foehl. Reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved.
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