I was buzzing around the Amazon bookstore hoping to find a decent priced copy of This Book.
One of the recommendations listed along the page was a book on perennial veggies. It sounded interesting so i went to the site. Here. The site gives you a list of edibles that should be perennial in the area you choose from the left column, under the "Resources" heading.
Here is the list for my area:
Cold Temperate
Cold Temperate: East, Midwest, and Mountain West
This is a large and highly populated region covering much the eastern and central United States, as well as much of the warmer parts of Canada. This region corresponds with USDA Zones 4–7, and Sunset Zones 2–4, 6, 11, and 32–43.
Perennial in all of the Cold Temperate zone:
Allium fistulosum Welsh onion-- have
Allium tricoccum ramps --plan to get
Allium tuberosum garlic chives
Apios americana groundnut
Aralia cordata udo
Asparagus officinalis asparagus --have
Bunias orientalis Turkish rocket
Camassia cusickii Cusick’s camass
Camassia leichtlinnii Leichtlin’s camass
Camassia quamash camass
Camassia scillioides wild hyacinth
Chenopodium bonus-henricus good king Henry
Cicorium intybus chicory
Crambe maritima sea kale --have been looking for
Dioscorea japonica jinenjo
Dioscorea opposita Chinese yam
Helianthus tuberosa sunchoke --have
Hemerocallis daylily
Laportaea canadensis wood nettle
Levisticum officinale lovage --have
Malva moschata musk mallow
Matteuccia struthiopteris ostrich fern --have
Nasturtium officinale watercress
Oenanthe javanica water celery
Oxyria digyna mountain sorrel
Petasites japonicus fuki
Phytolacca americana pokeweed
Polygonatum biflorum canaliculatum giant Solomon’s seal
Rheum rubarbarum rhubarb --have
Rumex acetosa French sorrel
Rumex acetosa ‘Profusion’ sorrel
Rumex acetosella sheep sorrel
Rumex scutatus silver shield sorrel
Sagittaria latifolia arrowhead
Scorzonera hispanica scorzonera
Sium sisarum skirret
Stachys sieboldii Chinese artichoke
Taraxacum officinale dandelion -- who doesn't have this?
Tilia spp. linden
Urtica dioica nettles --have
Some of them i have, some of them sound interesting and some are...uh? Like Linden. Flowers i understand are good for tea... but the nuts, i have never seen listed as edible.
I don't quite consider tea a vegetable. Dandelion.... yes i know it is edible. I have eaten it and i would try making wine from the flowers if i dared to allow it to get out of hand that far. I have seen seeds for a garden type, the leaves are larger, more tender and less bitter, but i think hubby would quit on me...as in no more help in the garden! lol
Though it is not on the list, somewhere along the way i saw mentioned Walking Stick Kale. Pinetree used to carry the seed, but it looks like they don't anymore which is too bad. I did find a couple places that have it, so i will put it on my list for next year. During that search i did enjoy looking through Baker Creek's website. I got their catalog last winter but i don't remember looking at it much. I tried to find it- i keep my favorite catalogs in plastic sleeves in a fat 3-ring binder. Its the best way to keep them from being ruined or thrown away before they expire. I might have to put myself on their mailing list to make sure i get a catalog for next Spring just in case i am mistaken about getting one.
Back to the perennial veg... I didn't see Purple Sprouting Broccoli. I have never grown that before, but i was under the impression that it was hardy enough to be planted around this time of year and it would survive the winter if mulched and be one of the first things ready to harvest in the Spring.
I plan to try it so i need to know. My idea is to have a few bites of broccoli before the incoming woodchucks discover my garden.
I guess i'll have to do more research on that.
I guess that is it so far on this subject.
