Grow Your Own Lemonade (or Lemon Aid)

Lemons, limes and lemongrass are just a few of the plants that can be grown in pots outdoors in the summer and brought inside when the cool fall weather arrives. They make attractive houseplants over winter, but they also provide some fun culinary ingredients for the kitchen. They can be used in lemonade, iced tea, cocktails and mocktails.

You can find citrus plants and lemongrass at garden centers, big box stores and online. Lemongrass is sometimes available in pots in the produce section. Growing a lemon tree is easy and who wouldn’t want to squeeze a few home grown lemons for refreshing beverages or harvest a few stalks of lemongrass for a lemony iced tea?

lemon tree in a pot

Lemon Trees

Unlike the very large citrus trees that grow in warm climates, smaller varieties, such as ‘Improved Meyer’ lemon stay relatively small and are suitable for indoors. Choose a dwarf variety and, when it comes time to replant, select a container that’s at least 18 inches wide and has drainage holes. Use a soil-less potting mix that contains granular fertilizer. Keep the soil evenly moist during the summer.

Citrus trees are not cold-hardy so they should head outdoors in spring after all danger of frost has passed—usually after mid-May in northeastern Illinois. They can spend the summer outdoors in a protected, sunny spot until a fall frost is predicted. In northeastern Illinois, we anticipate that first fall frost around October 15.

When plants are brought indoors, place them in an area that receives direct sunlight, away from heat sources and cold drafts. Water when the soil feels dry or the pot feels light. Because they are not actively growing in winter there’s no need to fertilize until spring. When you see new leaves emerging, use a water-soluble, all-purpose fertilizer once a week to encourage foliage and flowers.

lemongrass in a pot

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon)

Grow this long-stemmed grasslike herb outdoors in a 12-inch pot in full sun or light shade. Come fall place it indoors in a sunny window. The stems, which add a fresh, bright note to Asian dishes and herbal teas, can be harvested all year. The distinct lemony flavor is concentrated in the stalks, the white, beefy part of the plant from the bottom of the green leaves to the base. This lower portion is used in stir-fries and herbal teas. Plants like full sun and can reach 3 feet tall or more in a container. Keep the soil moist, but well-drained during the growing season. They will tolerate lower light indoors during winter. When the leaves are a foot tall, and the stalks are about half an inch in diameter, lemongrass is ready to harvest.

Lemon Verbena

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla)

The leaves of this herb pack a lemony scent and flavor without the bitter bite of real lemon. Grow it as an annual in full sun, either in the ground or in a pot and water it regularly. You can overwinter a potted lemon verbena indoors. Or, in September, cut the entire plant at the base, rinse it and hang it upside down in a cool, airy place to dry before storing.

 

lemonade recipes
 

 

Recipes

Lemonade

Ingredients:

2 cups water                      
1 to 2 cups Meyer lemon juice*                      
½ cup granulated sugar

In a small saucepan, heat sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves. Remove pan from the stove, let it cool before pouring into a pitcher. Add the Meyer lemon juice and stir. Store it in the refrigerator and serve chilled and over ice.

*One medium Meyer lemon releases about 3 tablespoons of juice. There are 16 tablespoons in a cup.

Lemony Herbal Iced Tea

Ingredients:

3 cups of water                      
8 – 10 bags of green, black, or herbal tea                      
¾ cup sugar                      
½ cup lemon juice                      
ice cubes                      
large pitcher (one gallon)

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil.                       
Remove the pan from the heat, add the tea bags, cover and let them steep for 10 minutes.                      
Add ice cubes to the pitcher and pour in lemon juice.                      
Remove the tea bags and add the sugar, stirring until dissolved.                      
Pour the mixture into the pitcher and add water to the half-gallon mark, then stir with a long-handled spoon. Add the remaining water to make one gallon of tea. Pour over ice in a tall glass, garnish with a slice of lemon, and serve.

 

 

 

Garden Sparkler

Ingredients:

3 parts Proseco (chilled)                      
1 part St. Germain Elder Flower Liqueur                      
1 part Vodka                      
raspberries                      
sprig of lemon verbena

Mix the first three ingredients and pour into a chilled glass. Add raspberries and a sprig of lemon verbena. Serve in a chilled glass.

Lemongrass Collins

Ingredients:

1 2/3 oz vodka                      
2 inch piece of lemongrass (bottom white part)                      
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice                      
1/2 oz simple syrup                      
Club Soda                      
Garnish: Lemongrass, mint leaves, or an orange slice

Muddle lemongrass in the bottom of a shaker. Add vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup and shake. Double-strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top up with club soda and stir. Add the garnish.

Cocktail recipes and more from herbs in the garden.

learn more

Nina Koziol is a garden writer and horticulturist who lives and gardens in Palos Park, Illinois