#perennialvegetables

[seedkeeping]

Skirret is a perennial root vegetable that is native to China. Romans brought it to the British Isles in medieval times, where in 1677, English horticulturalist John Worlidge raved that it was: “the sweetest, whitest and most pleasant of roots,” in his Systema Horticulturae. Long before the arrival of the Andean potato, Irish Catholic monks cultivated this sweet parsnip and carrot relative. We consolidated our skirret patches today, hoping to provide beautiful flowers and then seeds from this crop. We harvested some roots for dinner and combined them with potatoes, as suggested by Wolf D. Storl in the Curious History of Vegetables. They are sweet and lovely. After root harvest, we divided each plant into six! #skirret #siumsisarum #apiaceae #umbelliferae #perennialvegetables #seedkeeping #seedsaving

[seedkeeping]

Skirret is a tasty, thin-rooted perennial in the Apiaceae family, related to carrots, parsnips, parsley, etc. Originally from China (where it is still eaten), it was introduced to Europe around or before Roman times, and was grown fairly commonly until the Andean potato came along to replace it with such enormous yields. It was one of few vegetables grown in medieval Ireland - so I intend to savor it as an ancestral crop. Chris and I just tasted it for the first time, boiled and salted. It has the flavor of a carrot or parsnip, and the smooth consistency of a boiled potato. Next time we will cook it with leeks and cabbage and BUTTER, all of which are other old Irish foods. I left half the roots from the unearthed skirret, and will replant them. Apparently, like many things, it is sweeter after the frost, and can be lifted and eaten throughout the winter. I gathered the seeds from the "swamp bed" at Roughwood in Devin, PA last year - it does well in moist soils. I will never have to replant seeds of this easily-divided perennial, though of course I will because I can't stop growing more things. #skirret #siumsisarum #sugarroot #crummock #sukkerrod #suikerwortel #Zuckerwurzel #seedkeeping #seedsaving #perennialvegetables (at Delaware County, Pennsylvania)

[clairelindow]

White sprouting broccoli - White Star. This is a broccoli that was grown from seed April ‘20 and instead of sticking it in the compost when I needed the room in the brassica bed, I moved it into the border. It’s still sprouting shoots, they don’t have broccoli flowers on the new shoots but they are delicious and tender. I’ll keep growing it to see how long it lives and I’m hoping it will be a short lived perennial, hopefully it will mean early broccoli next Spring, only time will tell and it’s fun to experiment. #perennialvegetables #kitchengarden #permaculture https://www.instagram.com/p/CRQkZpdLsDa/?utm_medium=tumblr

[clairelindow]

Here’s the progress of the polyculture experiment. It’s currently got all the selfseeded aquilegia interwoven through the perennial edibles. A really beautiful sight. The companion flowers I sowed from seed in April are coming along and growing well although they are still small. Things are a few weeks behind, the aquilegia are usually in bloom in early/mid May. I’ve been so happy with the progress of this section of the garden that I’ve started developing more areas of the garden in this style. As a reminder of the edibles growing I have a Szechuan pepper (currently with an aquilegia growing through), cardoon, Welsh onion, onion chives, alpine strawberry, oregano and golden oregano, bronze fennel, garlic chives, chamomile, lemon thyme, feverfew, globe artichoke, a baby olive tree. These are good for starters but I’m looking to the veg beds for perennial candidates for these types of polyculture beds. I’m particularly looking at the allium bed with Egyptian onions and babbington leeks also the brassicas for the perennial kale and nine star broccoli I grow. If you are thinking of creating a similar bed, I’ve used @alysf books for inspiration The Edible Garden and the new one Eat What You Grow and very simply plant big plants at the back, medium plants in the middle and small plants at the front. Although I do love it when a plant that starts off small and then shoots to the sky at the front - the chamomile with its beautiful Feathery leaves are doing just that. An amazing effect. This is such a lovely journey and I love nibbling leaves while I do my daily (or several daily checks) #perennialedibles #perennialvegetables #permaculture #polyculture #aquilegia https://www.instagram.com/p/CPfU7vfnJ97/?utm_medium=tumblr

[clairelindow]

Nine star perennial broccoli: such a big fan of this perennial vegetable. Every trip to the allotment and they give me a bouquet of broccoli sprouts to take home. I think I need to sow some more for the back garden! #ninestarbroccoli #perennialvegetables https://www.instagram.com/p/CPLlMa5nmy4/?utm_medium=tumblr

[luckymortal]

What’s left of the sea kale in flower. We’ve got 3 of these babies, working on more, which is silly considering we hardly made a dent in eating the broccoli. Should have frozen a whole bunch of it. 🤷‍♂️ #seakale #perennialvegetables #isntshegorgeous😍 https://www.instagram.com/p/CAyAp6OMd9n/?igshid=yba1x2nsx1p4

[luckymortal]

A seasonal fave, perennial fennel bulb and green garlic, linguine in orange/ginger broth, garnished with chive and sea kale. #permaculture #perennialvegetables #gardenlife #permaculturelife https://www.instagram.com/p/CAoYYVTsA84/?igshid=wv7tblv56f96

[amareworkshop]

Perennial fruits and vegetables might be my very favorite way to garden. They offer more security than anything else I can think of, truly. #asparagus #perennialgarden #perennialvegetables #zone5 #zone5gardening #vermontgarden #vermontgrown (at Chester, Vermont) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAkiyWRljsO/?igshid=esaghqeob1kd