Easiest food to grow that comes back EVERY YEAR :-)
It’s Strawberry season; one of my favorite times of year! Some of my friends think I’m crazy; have you tried strawberries with peanut butter, yet?
OK, I have to admit, this combination sounded really strange to me at first; then I tried it. I’m hooked! Strawberries cut in half with peanut butter slathered in the middle, really ROCKS ;-) It’s the perfect quick morning bite with strawberry sweetness and salty protein; add a sprinkle of cinnamon, and you’ve got a perfect anti-inflammatory combo! Kind of like a mini-peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the bread, yummmm…
This got me thinking that I needed to spread the word with you about some of the easiest, most satisfying edibles you can grow (even if you don’t know anything about plants ;-)
If you have kids, or have never had any luck or the time to grow anything, this newsletter is for you. I’ll share some funny stories and the absolute BEST edible plants you can grow right at home in pots or in a small area around the yard.
Before, I spill the beans, I hope you enjoyed last week’s newsletter on the differences between a cold and allergies, including how I beat my allergies and can now enjoy Spring with my family again. If you missed it, you can use this link, here.
So, back to strawberries ;-) Did you know strawberries come back every year? No? Well, I’ve got good news! They do, and so do a bunch of other edible plants. Plus, you don’t have to do much but plant them the first time and you can enjoy them for years to come. Add these to the list: Oregano (hello spaghetti sauce), mint, rosemary, lavender, asparagus, dandelion (those weeds with the yellow flowers), watercress, artichokes, onions, rhubarb and garlic chives. Wow, got your attention now?
Believe it or not, I’ve actually had tomato plants volunteer and grow back the next year. Well, let’s dig into some of these easy edibles, when and how to plant them. You’ll be growing your own goodies before you know it, and you can make sure they are organic too!
How do I know what plants come back every year?
Make sure the plant you want to buy, is labelled as a perennial. A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term perennial is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals.
Perennials grow and bloom over the spring and summer, die back every autumn and winter, and then return in the spring from their roots or other overwintering structure.
That’s good news for us novice gardeners; the easier, the better! There is one draw-back, though… You either need to buy them already grown as a plant, or find a neighbor or family member that is willing to share some plants from their garden. Most perennial plants have a much better survival life span if you purchase them as plants rather than start them by seed; and they are going to cost a bit more than an annual plant that only lives one year and will die over the winter.
The other thing to make sure of, is that your perennial plant for our area in NJ, is labeled for Zone 6a or 6b (or lower). Plant zone suggestions are labelled on the plant tag, and you will also want to make sure it calls out the word perennial. Once you cover these bases, your tag will often times tell you how large the plant will grow and what kind of sunlight it will need. Easy-peezy!
Now for the fun part…. let’s plan on what to grow as a beginner!
What edible plants are best to grow as a beginner here in NJ?
To begin with, if you’d like to start a nice sized garden that’s easy to maintain and will give you lots of produce, I’d suggest planting the following:
Assuming you have budgeted about $100 to spend for perennials, I suggest you plant the following. Most of these plants can be purchased at your local nursery or at a Lowes/Home Depot. Remember, most perennials and trees usually come with a guarantee; so if they don’t make it, just return them and try again. If you don’t have a yard, many of these suggestions will even grow in pots put on your front or back porch!
1-2 fruit trees - I suggest getting dwarf apples and/or semi-dwarf pears to start with. Apples and pears have the highest production rates and are very dependable. Make sure you get varieties that pollinate each other and ripen at different times.
10-25 strawberries – a good June bearer such as Jewel or Earliglow will provide you with fresh eating. I suggest you have an individual area for your strawberries, as my sister-in-law made the mistake of growing her mint and strawberries together, and the mint is choking out her berries! Strawberries can be grown in containers right on your back porch with a little bit of sunshine ;-)
2-5 blackberries – Triple Crowns and Choctaws, both are excellent producers. The books will tell you that blackberries will produce in the second year but mine took three years to get established and start producing. Berries are typically sold in bunches.
5-10 asparagus roots – I have an individual perennial area for my asparagus and rhubarb, but you can put it in a corner of your main garden. Asparagus and strawberries can be planted next to each other. Remember that asparagus does expand and will become fuller so don’t plant the roots too close together. Purple passion is my favorite asparagus and one we like to eat raw in salads.
5 perennial herb plants - plant one each of oregano, thyme, sage, mint and chive in a dedicated herb garden. Rosemary is a tender perennial so plant one in a pot that can be brought inside during winter. The rest can be planted all together in a pot or separately depending on your space limitations. This will give you fresh cuttings and plenty to dry for winter use. These are easy to purchase at your local nursery.
Don’t stop now!
Once you get the hang of growing your own edible goodies, you can branch out to some of the other varieties. Don’t stop now - here is a list of some perennials you can add your second year:
The second-year buy with your $100 perennial budget:
1-2 fruit trees – 1 plum and 1 cherry tree. Japanese plums need a pollinator. European plums do not. Sour cherries do not need a pollinator, but most sweet cherries do. Remember to look at ripening dates and chose an early and a late variety to spread out your harvest.
2 elderberry bushes – another hardy native, two varieties are necessary as they cross-pollinate.
2-3 blueberries – get at least two different varieties as blueberries cross-pollinate. Blueberries come in early, mid and late varieties so get a mix. That will give you a longer harvesting season.
2-3 black raspberries – I have Jewel and they are very productive.
2 rhubarb plants - my favorite is Valentine
3 perennial herbs for medicinal use – comfrey, echinacea, and chamomile are easy ones to start with. Tea Tree and Aloe are great house plants. Food self-sufficiency does tend to spill over into other areas!
3 perennial herbs for drinks – obviously you know that guzzling soda and Kool-Aid is unhealthy. But many people get “bored” with drinking water. Making your own tea is a healthy, inexpensive solution!
Herbs in the mint family make great teas. The standard peppermint is just the tip of the iceberg; apple mint, lemon mint, and bee balm are just a few. Pineapple sage is wonderful in fruit salads as well as making a refreshing summer iced tea. Borage flowers make a great pick me up tea. I love my apple mint for summer tea!
The Bottom Line
So, are perennials worth it? Yes! Perennials are well worth the time, energy, and wait. They just take a little planning. Think about what perennials you like to eat and what types of space they need to grow. You and the plants will both be happy.
I’ve tried to keep today’s gardening blog short, and I’m sure many of you have questions. Check out this well written article for more info on growing your first edible perennials; Here.
As a side note, I sure do like to add some pretty edible perennial flowers along side my edible plants. They add more color to your gardening pleasure, and will draw more pollinators to your edibles. Who doesn’t like cut flowers, humming birds and butterflies? Here is a link to which perennial edible flowers I suggest, Link.
Below is the harvesting time for some of my favorite perennial veggies and fruits:
May: asparagus
June: asparagus, strawberries, blueberries, mulberries
July: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries (domestic and wild), mulberries
August: apples, peaches (some years), plums (domestic and wild), elderberries
September: apples, pears, plums, hazelnuts, paw-paw’s (wild)
October: apples, hazelnuts, black walnuts (wild)
I hope today’s newsletter has been informative and you are excited and hopeful about planting some Spring and Summer edibles yourself this year.
Don’t forget, we’ve got cookbooks in each office for those of you that would like to buy one at a discounted price. Hopefully I ordered enough! If not, and you’d like to get cooking right away, you can find them for sale on Amazon, using this LINK.
There are NO LIMITS of what you can create, you are POWERFUL and there is nothing that you can not have or achieve! Believe in your power, believe in yourself and let go of what no longer serves you! ♡ design your life, create your reality…
This is life changing!
* * * * * * *