The Cocktail Hour Garden | Fresh Blueberry Cocktail Recipe

Gardener and author C.L. Fornari shares a little cocktail hour history, how to create the perfect cocktail hour garden, plus a fresh blueberry cocktail recipe from her new book, The Cocktail Garden (St. Lynn’s Press, 2016). 

Some believe that the cocktail hour began in Paris, France, during the late 18th century. At that time it became customary to pause at the end of the workday for a glass of green absinthe, a highly alcoholic drink made from herbs. So many people looked forward to this daily practice that this period of the evening became known as l’heure vert, the green hour. For New Englanders, the color green doesn’t bring absinthe to mind but has other positive associations. The Northeast is a verdant, green environment. Our parks and ball fields may be referred to as “the green.” And in the 21st century the word has also come to mean environmentally aware and responsible. But no matter which of the many definitions of the word we embrace, we can enjoy the green hour as a time to reconnect with the natural world. Designing a cocktail hour garden starts with the realization that it’s beneficial to make a ritual of relaxation. Whether you’re pausing with a cup of tea, a glass of sparkling water or a cocktail, it’s important to put aside the digital devices keeping us constantly linked, and to appreciate the immediate that surrounds us. This setting doesn’t have to be large. A relaxing green hour garden can be created in sizable yards or on a small patio or balcony. Whether growing in beds or containers, a cocktail hour garden should contain plants that appeal to the senses. For example, choose colors and textures that are backlit by the setting sun if your property is illuminated at sunset. Fine grasses will glow in the warm rays of the sinking sun and plants with red or yellow leaves and flowers come alive at that hour. As the sun goes down, however, white becomes the most visible flower and foliage color. Including plants with white blooms or variegated leaves will create plantings that are perceptible before and after dark. Frequently, white flowers are also the most fragrant in the evening, so these can appeal to our sense of smell as well as sight.