I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since the last post! The saying “a farmer’s work is never done” is more than spot on for us this time of year. I have been “chasing my tail” for weeks trying to cook and freeze the bounty of kale, mustard greens and spinach that we couldn’t eat along with doing two farmer’s markets for the microgreens I grow as well as planting more garden veggies and taking care of what’s already growing out there. Oh. Did I mention weeding???
Of course, once the permaculture aspect of this little half acre homestead is more fully developed, weeds won’t be as big an issue as they are now. And there’s another aspect of permaculture that I’m really really really starting to hanker for. The title of this post should be a huge clue! I want permanent food wherever possible! Just imagine for a minute how absolutely delightful (not to mention easy) gardening would be if all you had to do was go out one time to plant your garden and then harvest forever and ever, amen. Sigh.
But that’s part of what permaculture is all about – perennial food. While tomatoes and cucumbers and potatoes and corn and all that good stuff will always be a part of our little homestead, I’m thinking it’s time to concentrate a bit more on those perennial edibles that don’t require planting over and over again. Seeing Lamb’s Quarters growing between the strawberry plants got me to thinking that I’m neglecting an important part of permaculture. Besides the obvious fruits we’ve planted – blueberries, blackberries, black raspberries, honey berries, elderberries, paw-paw and apple trees – here are some fairly common perennials that are either in our landscape now or soon will be:
Daylilies: you know, those orange flowers that you see growing along the side of the road (not the stuff you get in a florist’s shop, those are a different species). With the common day lily, you can harvest some of the first shoots to steam each spring. You can also dig some of the tubers in spring; just don’t harvest all of them or the plant won’t propagate. The flower buds are edible as are the flowers themselves.
Lamb’s Quarters: Oh yeah, those are yummy edible weeds my friend! They grow easily in disturbed soil and taste delightfully like spinach! Saute with a little garlic in olive oil and enjoy your new favorite veggie.
Claytonia (also known as miner’s lettuce): Another spinach-like food that comes back year after year.
Perennial kale (also known as tree collards): Kind of a cross between collards and kale, they’re very tolerant of both heat and cold and can grow as tall as eight feet or so. That’s a great way to grow vertically in small landscapes!
Asparagus: Is there any need to say anything further? Roasted or fresh steamed asparagus is one of the best parts of spring.
And how about Maypop and Hardy kiwi for fruit? Or nuts like hazelnut, pecan, walnut, hickory or butternut? And how about plaintain, rhubarb or ground cherry? And that’s just a very brief look at perennial foods. There are a lot more than the ones in this post. Most perennial seed is available through online seed companies, so check them out! I’m certainly going to work toward adding more perennials to our little homestead. In the meantime . . . I gotta go plant.
