 Imagine planting a seed once and being able to harvest food from that plant for years. Wouldn't that be nice? We often think about gardening in terms of annuals; corn, tomatoes, peppers, etc. Things we plant once, harvest and then have to plant again. But when thinking about permaculture and holistic homesteading, it's pivotal to start thinking in terms of perennials; plants that return year after year. Here's the perks: - Less work - Better for the soil as nutrients are pulled deeper and larger root systems loosen the earth - Better for the environment as more carbon dioxide is absorbed and held within woody plant matter - Better for natural insect control as birds and other predators of "bad bugs" have a permanent place to build their homes Instead of thinking short term, I had to retrain my brain to think of growing food as long term. Here's a short list of common plants we consume in North America. These will all come back EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. Will you be incorporating any of these into your growing spaces this season? Almonds Apples Apricots Artichokes Asparagus Blackberries Blueberries Cherries Chestnuts Chives Collard Greens Cranberries Elderberries Grapes Grapefruit Goji Berries Gooseberries Hazlenuts Horseradish Jerusalem Artichokes Kale Kiwi Lemons Lemonbalm Lemongrass Limes Loganberries Lovage Mango Mint Mulberries Nectarines Olives Oranges Oregano Peaches Pears Pecans Persimmon Pomegranate Plum Quince Radicchio Ramps (Wild Leeks) Raspberries Rhubarb Sage Sorrel Strawberries Thyme Walnuts Wine Berries This list does not include self seeding crops we may think of that come back every year such as chamomile, arugula, etc.  Comments are closed.
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Blog content is authored by Angela, founder and steward of The Arcadia Project.
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