Perennials
Had an exciting weekend with a book on perennial vegetables, a book I've owned for about, ohhh, 10 years? (9781931498401 May 2007) When I had first attempted to use this book, it exasperated me. About half of the plants presented are perennial only in Hawaii, the toe of Texas and Florida minus the panhandle.
This time I "read" the book in a way that often works for me: backwards. I don't know why, but it helps me a lot to use a reference book this way, or just by dropping onto random pages. I cannot fully explain why this is so; maybe I have to explore facts haphazardly?
Regardless, I began to find vegetables that will grow perennially in my area, and I noted their pages with slivers of sticky notes. I left out items that have poisonous parts or require a lot of care, and favored indiginous plants. When I got to the beginning of the book, I jotted all of my selected vegetables in my notebook, including sunlight requirements and the nature of the vegetable (greens, roots, tuber).
To the author's credit, "weed" plants such as dandelion were included. I was sad to see that pigweed was left out. I think I have it growing wild, just need to get someone experienced to positively identify it for me.
The list: Ramps, Black Salsify, Wapato, Good King Henry, Lovage, Sea Kale, Nopales (spineless), Chicory, and the dandelion that already abounds. This should leave me with 3 or 4 beds for annuals, including the 3 Sisters and flax, and passionflower vines on either side of the gate. I may also put in heirloom rugosa roses, if I'm feeling brave. Those are the ones I've read produce the best hips (part of my home-grown tea/tisane project).
Then I charted my future garden beds and pencilled in the plant names. I was excited to have found in descriptions of ramps that they prefer shady spots. They will be welcome to my western-most bed, which is closest to the fence and tree-line.
My newest edition of Mother Earth News arrived in the mail the next day, and on its Editor's page was a listing for a plant-finding app on their website. Serendipity! I plan to run my list thru their app to find sources for these plants. As much as I love All Natural Lawn & Garden, I doubt they're going to carry ramps or Good King Henry. I'll bring them my list anyway.
I have renewed my idea to build a water feature on the southwest corner, right below my south kitchen window, where the downspout heads into the garden. The purpose of this will be for growing wapato or "duck potatoes" as well as cattails. They'll be my only tuber vegetables unless I get foolhardy enough to try the very invasive air potatoes. (Author notes that the edible air potatoes aren't as invasive, probably since we eat their attempts to reproduce and spread.)
I wonder how much digging I can get done before Spring?