Vegetables are a crucial part of your diet. They are even more critical if you are a vegan. While you can grab as much as you want at your local grocery, there’s nothing as rewarding as maintaining your vegetable patch. The problem is most vegetables flourish and age in under a year, meaning that you have to replant them after a couple of months.
Today, we are going to look at 15 perennial vegetables that grow back each year. This will reduce the strain of having to replant your garden year in year out.
1. Asparagus
Garden asparagus is a popular flowering plant whose shoots make excellent vegetables. Most people rarely see the actual plant but are only used to the young shoots that mostly show up in spring. Once you plant them in well-drained soil at a place with good sunlight, they will keep sprouting shoots until you uproot them.
You can grow them from seeds or bare-root crowns. All you need after this are some creative recipes, and you will have an endless supply of spring vegetables.
2. Jerusalem Artichokes
The Jerusalem artichoke is a drought-resistant that resembles potatoes to some extent. This root vegetable grows best in temperate weather, meaning it will go on hibernation in winter unless you grow it in a greenhouse.
You can eat them raw or cooked. If cooked, there are in ways similar to potatoes, but you wouldn’t want to use them as a potato substitute. They are rich in minerals and vitamins hence their vast health benefits.
3. Globe Artichokes
Globe artichokes are a great perennial as long as you protect them from harsh cold winters. Ensure that you do some research and get a variant that grows best in your region.
Source: ShutterstockThe only catch is that you will have to wait up to two years before harvesting for the first time. The edible portion is the flower bud that you must pick just before it blooms.
4. Bunching Onions
Unlike other onions that produce an underground bulb or edible stem, bunching onions (also known as Egyptian onions) produce bulbs at the top of the pant. You can either plant these bulbs or eat them. They taste like shallots making them a tad different from traditional onions.
You, however, have to take care since they can quickly propagate, creating a bush in your garden. Once mature, the bulbs topple over the supporting stem making them fall over and plant themselves in your garden. This is why they’re also called walking onions.
5. Sorrel
Sorrel is a leafy green that is reminiscent of the traditional vegetables we all love. They are among the very first plants to emerge from the ground in spring. They will give you a bunch of essential nutrients and a unique lemony flavor that is a great way to ease out of winter.
Pick the leaves while they are still young as they grow tough with age. Sorrel is an interesting vegetable that is hard to find in supermarkets hence its new allure.
6. Radicchio
This red chicory looks like a small red cabbage. It is popular in Italy and parts of Europe, but many people outside this region know little about it. The good thing about Radicchio is it is drought resistant, and if you plant it at the right time, you can harvest it twice a year.
It has a characteristic bitter taste hence passing the unwritten check for healthy vegetables.
7. Rhubard
Rhubard is another vegetable that can hang around for up to 20 years if you manage it well. The first rule is resisting harvesting it in its first year. If you want it to prosper, you should let it be until it establishes roots and shoots. Manage your harvesting for the first few years to give it a chance to take hold.
The only catch is the leaves are poisonous. Ensure that you only consume the stalks, nothing more!
8. Horseradish
Even though horseradish belongs to the broccoli and cabbage family, it is exceptionally hardy and can easily survive winter. Most of this is because it is a root vegetable. It is accessible as long as it is well established, and the soil is available.
Source: ShutterstockBeware of its pungent odor and taste. It might take some getting used to, but the health benefits are worth it.
9. Watercress
If you love pepper in your food, you will find watercress irresistible thanks to its slightly peppery leaves. Even though it is easy to grow, it attracts pests like whiteflies and snails, so be ready to deal with them.
If you can look beyond this, you will have a year-round supply of leafy greens rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, iron, thiamine, and niacin.
10. Garlic
While most gardeners pride themselves in their full bulbous garlic, the more sustainable ones give it time to lay in the soil. They let the garlic branch out into multiple bulbs that they can harvest over time.
Even though this approach won’t give you traditional heads, you will still get usable garlic scapes all year round. Just don’t dig up the garden as this will spoil the plant.
11. Good King Henry
Popularly known as poor man’s asparagus, good King Henry will prosper in any garden or food forest. It will grow even if it is in full sun or partial shade. Its versatility made it readily available to peasants in the past hence the nickname.
Source: ShutterstockWhile it is easy to grow, you should still eat it in moderation since it is rich in oxalis acids like sorrel and spinach.
12. Lovage
A lovage shrub will provide you with a fair share of vegetables as long as you don’t mind its strong flavor that easily rivals that of celery. It is a hardy herb that can easily feed an entire family at its peak since it easily grows up to 7 feet tall.
Since lovage sheds leaves before winter, some people harvest surplus leaves and dried them in large bunches for winter use. You won’t have to worry about this if you have a greenhouse.
13. Ramps
This is a leafy vegetable that grows in the wild on its own. If introduced to a garden or maintained vegetable forest, it will be among the first greens to sprout in spring. You can eat everything from their leaves to flowers and stems.
They are, however, hard to grow. Your best shot is transplanting bulbs into a well-aerated loamy soil and mulching over them.
14. Ostrich Fern
The ostrich fern is an exciting vegetable that pushes the limits of vegetable consumption. While it won’t remain alive for the whole year, it sprouts well after laying dormant in winter. However, you will have to read more about these ferns before incorporating them into your diet.
15. Daylilies
While the list of edible flowers is surprisingly long, very few people think of flowers as vegetables. If this is your first time hearing the concept, you can look into squash blossoms, hibiscus, pansies, and marigolds, all of which make great vegetables.
Daylilies make it into this list because the plant is perennial and won’t dry off after a year.
There you have it! Fifteen vegetables that will make your gardening easier by coming back each year with little to no intervention. They are a great way to build and maintain a diverse diet without working harder.
