Starting to look long term at what I grow in my garden - does anyone have any suggestions for perennial vegetables they either grow or would love to grow.
Many thanks
Bob
I find you can't go wrong with Rhubarb!
I'm also trying globe artichokes for the first time this year from seed. The chap with the next allotment to me has several magnificent specimens which take up a huge amount of space, but seem very productive and I got jealous.
I also am in my second year with Taunton Deane Kale and I love it to bits - the plant is already almost as tall as me and provides a huge amount of loose leaves and shoots. It's sort of like purple sprouting broccoli without the sprouting bits if you take young shoots or like spring greens if you take larger leaves. Send me a PM with your address f you need a cutting - it's a fairly simple affair to take a side-branch and strip it down to the growing tip and put it straight in the ground where you want it and keep it watered until it shows signs of life. I have never had a cutting not take in this way.
Cheers
Squeezy
Asparagus, if you don't mind waiting a couple of years before you get a proper harvest!
And fruit bushes, if you don't want to stick to veg. Autumn rasps are dead easy!
Hi squeezyjohn
Dont know if i like Globe artichokes, might buy some and try before planting. The Kale sounds nice, , will drop you a pm many thanks. Got a rhubarb plant off my mum earlier in the year as she was worried her pigeons would eat the leaves.
Hi Caroline - been toying with the idea of some asparagus, sister has some in her back garden, got a gooseberry bush just now and used to have 16 canes in my last garden, autumn gold and a red(not sure the name) and used to get lots, never netted them and still got my fair share with the birds lol.
cheers
I have perennial veggie beds, one with asparagus and one with rhubarb,and of course strawbwrries, then one with perennial onions , it has 2 types of potato onions,3 types of Egyptian walking onions, hopefully Babbington Leeks but they were iffy when I popped them and also chives. In my grape vine bed I have ramsons and sorrel growing beneath as both are OK in the shade.
I have 2 types of perennial cabbage ,a perennial kale ,a perrenial collard and just adding nine start broccolli this year. In a root bed I have skirret and schorzona. I have another bed which has 2 varieties of Jerusalem artichokes plus I have a globe artichoke plant.
Then a long bed of raspberries and a long bed with blueberries, rec currants, blackcurrants and gooseberries
I think that is it.
It has taken a couple of years to find everything but I am seeing the growth better this year.
XX Jeannine
If your Babington Leeks keel over just let me know Jeannine.. :)
Saddad my angel..I am letting you know ...now.
The ones I had didn`t get planted for ages as conditions were wrong and they were almost shot when I had the chance. I think maybe there is a wee bit of growth on two only but very small.
I would really appreciate some more as I have a place they could go straight in whatever the weather, the bed is raised and even if wet underfoot the plants in the beds are safe. We have been planting all this season with puddles of various depths under our wellies but the raised bed soil which we prepared last year bit didn`t grow in is lovely. So I have a super perennial onion bed.
I can`t remember what time of year they are ready to be picked but there is a space waiting. ;D ;D
Thank you so very much.. XX Jeannine XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hey jeannine,
Where did you get your ramsons? Had someone send me some seeds couple years back but turned out weren't ramson's.
The "seed heads" haven't formed yet... but a bit of selective weeding could produce plantlets... not sure customs would approve... :-X
If iy is not thick I would risk it saddad in a tough bubble envelope, just put 2 stamps on for going to Canada and pop it in a box, don't take it to the postoffice so don't declare anything, Or pop them in the cardboard tube that comes on paper towel and declare it as a magazine. It is bigger parcels that they sometimes open, although they have only removed one thing from a parcel.
XX Jeannine
Ramsons came fro Magic garden Seeds in Germany. Don't make a mistake and buy Rampions though.
XX Jeannine
I wouldn't be without my globe artichokes, I now have 4 of them, 2 different types :-) Yes they are big but they tolerate a bit of crowding.
Rhubarb definitely. I don't think anything eats the leaves, as they are toxic!!!
Also fruit of course, gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries. I also have all the herbs, thyme, rosemary, verveine, lemon thyme, mint and a few perennial flowers.
nothing is supposed to eat rhubarb leaves, which is a good thing as back garden is over run with rabbits and father in law who is staying there for a couple of days while we are away on holdiay advises me that they are eating the tops of my carrotts lol
got a wooden barrel for my herbs, got mint, parsley, basil (red and green) and chives in it just now
I don't think anything eats the leaves, as they are toxic!!!
Hmm...I was snail picking amongst my rhubarb last night..I've got lots of rhubarb leaves on the plants that has loads of big holes in them ::)...and found some giant slugs too.
So something is definately munching on my rhubarb and I suspect it is those slimy things.
Oxalic acid affects red blood cells.... molluscs don't have that so can munch away. Conversely "organic" slug pellets contain iron in a form we use with anaemic babies... not suggesting you let your toddlers eat them though!! ::)
I found this thread last year good http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,66415.0.html
Thanks for that Jay. It is interesting that the conversation was mostly about hunting down stuff and this year we all have it growing..
I had to move my potato onions and my walking onion plants, they moved just fine with big chunks of soil around their roots but LOL of course I forget which was which so now I have an bed with several types of walkers and spud onoins in. I know the differnce between the spuds and walkers but after that I am lost as to which variety is which.
XX Jeannine