Just turned over our veggie garden plot and doing some research on Heirloom seeds and perennial food crops. I was thinking of going heirloom, which I assuredly will to a certain extent (and learn to save seeds), but perennial food sounds so much easier. So, here is the beginning of this year's research (Man, I have to email this to Cheryl when she gets back! I love talking gardens with Cheryl. She has an awesome greenhouse, which I am jealous of.)
Perennial Foods
Chou Daubenton Kale- grows to be 3'x3'. Can be eaten raw or cooked. (Hard to find)
http://perennial-food-crops.blogspot.com/2009/02/chou-daubenton.html
Hostas (belive it or not- popular in Japan ~ http://www.hostas.com/articles/hostas/edible/hosta_cookery.html ~ ) I have found no poisonous varieties upon my google search- only recipes
Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes) ~ http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1541595/perennial_food_garden_series_sunchokes.html ~they multiply prolifically!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke
http://www.floridata.com/ref/H/heli_tub.cfm
Daylilies!!! All cultivated varieties of daylily are edible.
Flowers and flower buds of daylilies are delicious and quickly prepared for eating. The flowers are used in soups, meat dishes, and with noodles. Prepare the flowers for eating by removing the basal end (ovary) and dicing the rest. Flowers can be used for garnishing foods in somewhat the same way as mushrooms are employed. These flowers add substance, color, and pleasing flavors to foods. Fresh flowers are best for eating since some flavors are altered when they are preserved by drying and freezing.....all parts of the plant -- the sprouting leaves that appear in the spring, the summer buds and blossoms, the leaves and even the rhizomes -- are edible.
~ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/04/09/HOG7UC42QO1.DTL ~
Shallots and Potato Onions (multiplier onions):
According to the National Gardening Bureau, multiplier onions can produce a larger yield per area than any other vegetable except staked tomatoes. http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/potato-onions/
Herbs to grow as annuals this year:~ Rosemary ~ Basil ~ Lemongrass?! ~ Cilantro ~ Dill ~ Parsley
Lemongrass - http://www.harvestwizard.com/2008/07/lemon_grass.html
{To Suria: I am so jealous that for some of these herbs that are annual pain in the butts for me, are glorious perennials to you......what a stinker.}Note: Do not plant similar varieties of heirloom and non-heirloom veggies close to one another, if they cross pollinate they will render your heirloom seed useless (non-heirloom seeds aredesigned unable to reproduce so you have to buy seeds every year. )
Probably more to come, still investigating....
I got the first batch out of the glaze kiln late last week and have been waiting for a sunny day to take a pic. I ended up taking 405 of them yesterday for etsy and still have yet to edit them all, delete most and post any.... it's just too nice outside.
we all now have ceramic pendant necklaces. Willow has a girl and a 'w'. John and i have trees, and bear has a bear head, and a 'b' that i have yet to string around his neck. His neck is a bit crowded at the moment. He has the bear head, the necklace from Thailand from Cheryl and 3 little footprints for the school mileage club. He is currently at 34 laps around the school.
Yes, we actually did it. Last eve I went out and picked daylily leaves and lemon balm, with some chives and sauted them up with some lime juice, loive oil and butter. It was actually quite good. The daylilies have a touch of flowery sweetness to them. I now understand why lots of them were already trimmed back by the deer.
Willow helping herself to some cheerios after finishing the bowl i gave to her. She is looking at her photo album we put together after easter that she got from Nonna. Thanks Nonna!
My brother dean got a cross tattoo of his right wrist last week. It is sweet, way cooler than these, even though they are also very nice. Heather, dean's lady, got a really sweet 'italia' heart on her foot/ankle. Very cute! I am jealous. My right wrist is already occupied, but I am debating upon an alternative location for a cross. My mom just happened to find a small cross, which she gave to Bear that would make a very nice feminine version.
