Who doesn’t like having good, fresh produce? When they’re from your own yard, it’s even better! With the rising cost of food, having a vegetable garden is growing more and more popular each year. Every spring comes the time to dream up your own garden, and plant your favorite varieties to enjoy when harvest time comes. Did you know there are some perennial vegetables or herbs that produce every year without you having to worry about it? Let’s take a look at some evergreen plants.
Asparagus
If you have the space and patience, the asparagus should be your first choice of perennial vegetable. The asparagus takes 3 years before producing the vegetable as we know it, but the result is worth the wait as plants will produce vegetables for 15 to 20 years. Once established, asparagus doesn’t require much care, a bit of compost and water during periods of drought. It should be planted in the sun or part shade.
Jerusalem artichoke
Jerusalem artichoke is one of the oldest and easiest root vegetable to grow in Quebec. Slightly sidelined over the years, it is now making a reappearance. The taste of its white flesh is compared to artichokes, and it substitutes perfectly the potatoes for a good mash. The tubercles are planted in the fall, in sun or part-shade, and do not require any care. Be careful, however, to plant them in a large pot buried in the ground or limit the space with a border, as it can be quite invasive.
Diplotaxis false rocket
With most of the same characteristics as the arugula we know, the white wall rocket plant is simple to grow in our climate. Plant it in full sun and enjoy it’s leaves in a salad or on your pizzas and pastas. It also makes an excellent pesto.
Marjoram
Its taste resembles the oregano that we know more, while also being more delicate. You can add its fresh leaves in your favorite sauce. When infused, marjoram has many therapeutic virtues. In summer, it covers itself in small pinkish white flowers. It is a perennial soft and fragile, and needs to be well protected in winter.
Chervis
The sweet white roots of chervis resemble those of parsnips and carrots. When cooked, chervis is the most delicious root vegetable. Easy to grow, it’s very productive. By leaving a few roots in the ground every year, you will have a new harvest the following year. Chervis likes light and fresh soil, and likes having its roots in the water.
These vegetables are only a few examples of what you can plant in your vegetable garden so that it renews itself each season. Should you wish to adopt a permaculture, these are certainly varieties to try. In addition, you’ll discover new flavours and you’ll also have new varieties to share with your guests.
