Perennial Vegetables

[CarolineW]

I'm hoping to incorporate perennial vegetables into my flower borders, and would like to know which vegetables are perennials? I saw on TV that Jerusalem artichokes are (yum, love them). And I've a feeling that I've heard somewhere along the way that runner beans are if you don't pull them up??? Does that sound right? I've already planted artichokes and asparagus. Are there any other vegetables that I can treat as perennial? Potatoes, perhaps? Can they be treated like Jerusalem artichokes?

Fingers crossed if my interview for the vacant allotment plot goes OK tomorrow morning I'll be doing all of my 'standard' crops there, and will keep my cut and come again salads plus herbs going in my garden near the house. But I really like the idea of perennial veg mixed into my borders.

Thanks
Caroline

[Snadger]

Good idea!

I'm growing a cauliflower called Nine Star Perennial which can supposedly be left in the ground for five to seven years!

Seakale is another very ornamental perennial I am growing along with Cardoon which I mistakenly pulled out thinking it was a thistle! As you know Echinops are very ornamental so I would imagine Cardoon will be too! Another member of the thistle family is Artichoke ( not to be confused with Jerusalem Artichokes which are from the sunflower family) Artichokes have striking foliage and I would imagine thistle like flowers!
Rhubarb would be OK at the back of the border.
I also grow Egyptian Tree Onions (walking onions) which are perennial and quite ornamental
A lot of the herbs are also perennial, Rosemary,Chives, mints(including variagated)
Anyway, there's a few to be going on with! I'm sure youu'll get quite a few more from the other grapes!
Good luck and don't forget to post a picture of the finished result!

[shirlthegirl43]

Intruiged by the cauliflower Snadger. Does it grow like calabrese or brocolli where you get a main 'head' followed by shoots?

[momol]

Hi Caroline,

I would like to add Snadger's list of parennial veggies , they are :
Chillies (C. pubescens and C. baccatum ) to over winter it, you will have to bring them indoor or in the green house,
Collards ( they can be grown as cabbage tree ) ,
Chards ( bienneal),
chayote ( Sechium edule ) this one is a climbing type & it need frost protections, artichoke,
wasabi ( very hardy, love cold and wet),
...lemon grass & Ginger ( indoor cultivations).

Cheers,
momol

[Two_Sheds]

have a Google for "forest gardening" or "permaculture". I've got a great book on this, its at my mums, can't remember the name though....

Gaia's Garden, that's it. Big section on 'permanent food planting' (Amazon sell it)

[greenlung]

I've a feeling that I've heard somewhere along the way that runner beans are if you don't pull them up??? Does that sound right?

I heard that last year too - think my mum told me. Didn't seem to work for me this year, and new plants are so easy to grow.

[Eden]

There is a white perennial broccoli, can't remember what it is called but I know Thompson and Morgan do it, it's crops for over 6 weeks each year.

[Snadger]

Intruiged by the cauliflower Snadger. Does it grow like calabrese or brocolli where you get a main 'head' followed by shoots?

I am growing it for the first time myself and only got the seed because one of my fellow allotment holders asked me to source them off the net! He reckons they throw up six or seven tennis ball sized caulis, so I thought I'd give it a try!

I got the seeds very cheaply from seeds-by-size on LJ's recommendation...........google it if you're interested!

[MissGreen]

That cauliflower you talk about is an old heritage vegetable that our ancestors used to grow. You leave it in the ground and bleach the new flower shoots to make them tender and then you boil or fry it. I'm very tempted to try it for my new garden as I have plenty of space and it does grow quite big.

But I also heard that it is difficult to germinate, did you find that Snadger?

It's latin name is Crambe maritima.

[MissGreen]

Oops, I was too fast there! Nine star is not the same as my cauliflower. But that means there on more plant to look for

[Snadger]

That cauliflower you talk about is an old heritage vegetable that our ancestors used to grow. You leave it in the ground and bleach the new flower shoots to make them tender and then you boil or fry it. I'm very tempted to try it for my new garden as I have plenty of space and it does grow quite big.

But I also heard that it is difficult to germinate, did you find that Snadger?

It's latin name is Crambe maritima.

Crambe maritima is Seakale........which I am also growing. The Maritima bit should give away it's coastal origins! Often to be found on the seashore I believe?

I must admit I didn't find it hard to germinate, but I only have one plant left as the local population of woodpigeons took a shine to the others!
Because it's it's first year, I don't think I'll blanch it yet to enable it to build up a stronger crown for next year!

[MissGreen]

Yep seakale, we call it almost the same in Denmark. I've seen it growing on a few beaches, but it's not common and I haven't seen anybody growing it in their gardens. I will be ordering the Nine star to thanks for the tip.

[snake the squadie]

i know its not a veg but try strawberries on a new plot. they come back year after year and keep the weeds down. they prity much look after them self