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What is a Dessert Garden?

March 26, 2025 by Kimberly Snyder 4 Comments

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What in the world is a dessert garden? I’d love to share my favorite herbs I grow in my herbal dessert garden!

Herb Themed display

On this blog, I may sometimes use affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase via the link. The price will be the same whether you use the affiliate link or go directly to the vendor’s website using a non-affiliate link.  By using my affiliate links to shop, it helps me to be able to continue bringing you fresh new ideas and projects!  Thank you! 

What is a Dessert garden?

A dessert garden is quite similar to a tea, culinary or a fragrance garden.   Many of the same herbs that you would use to make teas or grow to add to your cooking will turn ordinary desserts into delicious taste treats!

Herbs to grow in your dessert garden include: anise hyssop, cinnamon basil, lavender, lemon balm, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, pineapple sage,  rosemary, scented geraniums and of course one or more varieties of mint. The final choice will depend on your personal preferences.

Where did the concept of a Dessert Garden Sprout From?

When I was in my twenties and early 30s, I longed to open a restaurant (a tea room, actually) that would only serve flourless chocolate cake & ice tea.  I wanted to name it “Just Desserts”.  I probably would have had to serve a few other items than just flourless chocolate cake & ice tea in order to stay in business !   I didn’t open a tea room but I did start an herb business on my parents’ farm .  If you are interested in more of the back story, the details can be found here: Sprout/ Grow/ Bloom ; My Journey

I took my love of desserts and herbs and combined them into the concept of a Dessert Garden…. sort of like “Kim Style” for the garden!

Kim's Kottage logo

Back to the subject of growing and using Dessert Herbs…..

Growing Conditions –

Most of the herbs listed above prefer full sun, meaning they will need at least 6 hours of sunlight per day to thrive.  Lavender demands more sun and very well drained soil.  Lemon verbena, rosemary, pineapple sage and the scented geraniums are considered tender perennials, meaning you will need to bring them inside for the winter if you live in an area that has cold winters.  Cinnamon basil is an annual.  The rest of the herbs are considered perennials.

The dessert herbs can be planted directly in the garden or in containers .  They work well in window boxes , terra cotta pots or decorative containers.  If planting in a container, just be sure there are holes in the bottom of the container or window box in aid in draining out excess water.

More Detail about a Few of The Herbs to Grow in Your Dessert Garden

In order to keep this blog post from turning into the Encyclopedia Britannica of Herbs, I am going to break the information into a series of blog posts.  I will highlight 4 of the herbs today.  I will share information about how to grow the particular herb and give a few examples about how to use the herb in your dessert cooking.

The Mints

Everyone is familiar with the refreshing taste of peppermint.  The mint family includes several other “flavors” or varieties that are equally compatible with desserts and can be used interchangeably in recipes calling for peppermint.

Some examples of mints other than peppermint are pineapple mint, spearmint, apple mint, candy cane mint, curly mint and orange mint.  There is even a chocolate mint!  Pictured above is Berries & Cream mint.

The mints are hardy and will adapt to either full sun or part shade.  If planted in full sun, they will require more water.  Mint can grow to a height of 2 feet.  If you are hesitant to plant mint in your garden for fear it will take over, simply remove the bottom of a large plastic pot, plant the mint in the pot and then plant the pot in the garden as shown in the picture below.  This will help to control the mint.

Herbs in the Dessert Garden

If you are going to plant more than one variety of mint in your garden, you will want to plant them in different areas of the garden to avoid cross-pollination.

Anise Hyssop

Anise Hyssop is actually a member of the mint family.  Fortunately it does not spread as rapidly as other mint plants.  It is more compact but can grow rather tall (4 feet tall and 2 -3 feet wide in the right conditions) so consider its location in your dessert garden carefully.  It needs to be planted somewhere in the garden where it won’t block light getting to other plants.

Anise Hyssop is a great plant to have in your dessert garden because in addition to adding flavor to your desserts, its long lasting blooms will attract butterflies to your garden !  The blossoms can be cut and added to fresh flower arrangements in the summer.

Anise Hyssop had a sweet licorice taste.  To release the scent of the licorice from the leaves while you are in the garden, simply brush the leaves gently with  your hands.  This releases the essential oils in the leaves and you should be able to smell the wonderful scents!

Lavender

Lavender plant - Lido , Italy

Lavender needs to be planted in well drained, sandy soil in an area that will get proper air circulation and a lot of sun.  Good drainage is very important as Lavender does not like to have its “feet” (roots) kept wet!

When cooking with Lavender, it is the buds or tiny flowers that you want to work with, not the stems or leaves.

Pineapple Sage

Pineapple Sage can be planted outside after all danger of frost has passed.  Pineapple Sage is a tender perennial in much of the country.  It will over winter and be a perennial in zones 8 and higher.  It can grow to 3 to 4 feet tall.

Pineapple Sage is another plant that likes sandy or very well drained soil.  Water regularly while the plant is getting established and then water only when the soil is dry.

Pineapple Sage produces red blossoms in the late summer and fall.  These bright blossoms will attract butterflies to your garden.  The blossoms themselves are edible as well as looking beautiful in cut flower arrangements.

The leaves of the pineapple sage are used mostly in the fresh state.  They are delicious snipped over a fruit salad.

Introduction to Cooking with Dessert Herbs

Kim in the Kitchen with mint brownies

Herbal Condiments

Herbal condiments serve as an interesting way to add herbs to your dessert making.  Herbal vinegars and herbal sugars are two examples of herbal condiments.

Herbal Vinegar

Vinegar for dessert? Strange as it sounds, herbal vinegar can be used in various dessert recipes to add a special “zip”.  Herbal vinegars are easy to prepare.  The specific directions can be found in this blog post. 

Herbal vinegars can be substituted for liqueurs in recipes.  Herbal vinegars that work best in desserts would be made from mint, lavender or scented geranium leaves.

Here is an easy recipe to get you started using herbal vinegar:
piece of chocolate sponge type cake with powdered sugar and whipped topping on a white plate
For more information about Wacky Cake or Krazy Kake: What is Wacky Cake?
Chocolate cake baked in a round pan. Confectioner's sugar sprinkled on top

Kim's Krazy Kake

An easy to make Chocolate cake with a unique flavor ! Similar to a Wacky Cake
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • 9 in round baking pan or an 8 x 8 square baking pan
  • mixing bowl
  • spatula
  • measuring utensils
  • parchment paper to line pan
  • wire rack for cooling

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa or dutch process cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 Tablespoons herbal vinegar either mint, lavender or scented geranium herbal vinegar
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup water
  • powdered sugar for sprinkling on top of finished cake

Instructions
 

  • in a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt & baking soda
    flour, baking soda & baking powder
  • add 1/4 cup dutch process cocoa , mix dry ingredients together
    cocoa added to dry ingredients
  • make 3 wells or indentations in the dry ingredients. In one well, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, in another well add 1 tablespoon of herbal vinegar, and in the final well add 1/3 cup of vegetable oil.
  • Pour 1 cup of water over the entire mixture and stir until well mixed.
    chocolate cake batter in glass bowl
  • line the 9 in round pan with parchment paper
    round pan lined with parchment paper
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
    chocolate cake batter being poured into round cake pan
  • Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 Minutes.
  • Check to see if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick into the center
  • If the toothpick comes out clean , the cake is finished baking. if not, bake for a few more minutes and re-test
  • Once the cake is finished baking, place pan on wire rack and allow to cool
  • After the cake has cooled, run a thin spatula along the sides to help loose the cake.
  • Invert the cake onto the cooling rack Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake. Invert the cake on to a serving platter
  • Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar .
    Chocolate cake baked in a round pan. Confectioner's sugar sprinkled on top
  • cut cake into slices. Add a dollop of whipped topping if desired
    piece of chocolate sponge type cake with powdered sugar and whipped topping on a white plate

Notes

If you don't have herbal vinegar, white vinegar can be substituted
Other substitutions & additions:  add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit to the batter before baking.  Experiment with different flavors of extract, such as almond or peppermint, to give the cake a different taste.
Serve the wacky cake with whipped cream, frosting, or fresh fruit.  
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Herbal Sugars

Herbal sugars are simple to make.  When making herbal sugars, be sure to only use dried herbs.  To make herbal sugar, simply layer the dried herb of your choice with white table sugar in a covered container and let sit for several days to allow the sugar to absorb the essential oils (where the flavor comes from) from the herb.  Lavender as well as any of the mints work well in herbal sugars.

When you are ready to use the herbal sugar, place some in a shaker jar so that the dried herb bits don’t get into your herbal creation.

Tin Shaker

One of my favorite ways to use herbal sugar is to dust the bottom of the greased baking pan before adding the brownie or cake batter to the pan.  This gives the brownies or cake a subtle hint of mint.

More information about herbal condiments can be found here:

Save this Pin For Later!

To learn more about the rest of the Dessert Herbs:

Scenter geraniums , rosemary & lemon balm

Garden of Tasty Delights Part 2

Garden of Tasty Delights ; Intro to Dessert Herbs Part 3

General Tips for Cooking with Herbs of Any Kind!

When using fresh herbs, be sure to bruise them first to release the essential oils in the herbs.  Fresh herbs can be substituted for dried herbs and dried herbs can be substituted for fresh herbs.  Just be sure to adjust the proportions accordingly.  The general rule is to use at least twice as much fresh herb as you would dried herbs.

Dried herbs should be stored in opaque glass containers in a cool, dark location.  Light and heat affect their storage life.  Herbs should not be stored over the range, although that is where they invariably end up!

If you are just starting to cook with herbs, start slowly.  Add a small amount to the recipe at a time and then taste.  Add more herbs if you wish, just remember you can always add more but you can’t remove the excess if you’ve added too much!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The opinions here are all my own. It helps me to continue to bring to you DIY and projects on my blog.

Please see my disclosure page for more information.

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Filed Under: Blog Post, Gardening Tagged With: Dessert Herbs, Gardening, Herbs

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  1. From The Garden to the Pantry - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    November 28, 2023 at 9:12 am

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  2. Make Your Own Lavender Sugar - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    December 2, 2023 at 4:59 pm

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Hello! Kimberly (Kim) Snyder and I'm glad you're here. An entrepreneurial spirit, I've owned a flower shop and antiques store, a pizza parlor and now we're in Florida living a new adventure. Join me as we downsize into our new digs and continue the adventures! WRITER & BLOGGER

Kimberly Snyder shares the adventures of moving to Florida and beginning again in a new space as a herbalist, a creative, and a serial entrepreneur

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Not sure if I ever shared this version of the pott Not sure if I ever shared this version of the potting bench. I started decorating it with a lavender theme. I must have gotten distracted before I finished it! It just needs a few potted lavender plants ti finish it! #lavender #farmhousedecorating #gardenstyle #fromfarmhousetoflorida #pottingbench
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I don’t talk about my faith a lot. I do believe I don’t talk about my faith a lot.  I do believe God puts certain people in your path for a reason.  An example of this occurred on Tuesday.  It was colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy day.  I was really nervous about how it would all work since it was my first time since I had my cancer surgery. 

 The nurse that was taking care of me in the pre op area turned out to be the same nurse who had prayed for me last year. My husband was in the parking lot of the medical center speaking with his friend who happened to work at the center with this particular nurse. I was very sick at the time and they prayed for my healing.  It was great to be able to thank her in person and let her see that the prayers had been answered. ❤️

Then the anesthesiologist came in and told me about his cousin who had also been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer about a year ago. He mentioned some of the treatments his cousin had had and how important a positive attitude is.  I was touched that he took the time to tell me about his cousin’s experience. 

 We had arranged in advance to have my husband’s friend as the nurse anesthesist.  He was able to pray with us as well as reassure us about the procedure.

The procedure went well. The three polyps that the surgeon removed were sent to pathology.  The report is already back and there no evidence of cancer.  Prayers were answered again❤️

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Need a quick dough bowl decor idea? Simply tie mus Need a quick dough bowl decor idea? Simply tie muslin ribbon around a bouquet of silk tulips! I used white but any color would work! #doughbowls #farmhousedoughbowl #farmhousedecor #fromfarmhousetoflorida #cottagedecor #kimstyledecor
In honor of National Pet Day, sharing the first ti In honor of National Pet Day, sharing the first time I met Mowgli! He jumped right up into my arms proving he was #destinedtofly  I just happened to be wearing a #antomiestyle tank!  With Capri jeans, it makes an #everydayanatomie look!

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