How to reap the rewards from a small amount of effort for years to come.
Although perennials are often slow growing, once established they can just about take care of themselves. Some species are so low maintenance that they can become weeds (i.e. mint!) AND TAKE ON A life of their own. Essentially becoming WILD AND FREE.
One of the FIRST THINGS I usually advise my gardens, friends and family, is to plant PERENNIALS. These plants are often left to the last, or forgotten entirely as the excitement of starting a new journey/garden/season often tends to have fast growing quick return, instant gratifications. Whilst PERENNIALS are slow moving, quiet and for some, hasting the impatience and annoyance of long term life planting.
Annuals as the name suggests, typically live for only ONE SEASON. Whereas BIENNIALS grow ONE YEAR AND FRUIT THE NEXT and, PERENNIALS live TWO OR MORE YEARS- even for LIFE.
Each species has a time of the year when they are ready to supply your kitchen with fresh produce, flowers, pollination, deterrents, fragrances, colours, textures, sounds even. Continuous giving throughout the year. IRIE!!!
A small amount of research on when each perennial will be ready to plant and harvest or perhaps be alive and life giving while other annuals are gone or deciduous trees/shrubs/plants are dormant, will result in there always being something available to eat and to continue to sustain life in your backyard.
As these plants develop over the years, the need to LOOK AFTER THEM dissipates. Along with SELF SEEDING and LOW MAINTENANCE, every GENERATION of plants allowed to go to seed, teaches the NEXT GENERATION of seeds, via DNA CODE SHARING/GENETIC CODING and CONDITIONS ITSELF TO YOUR ENDEMIC MICROCLIMATE AND NEEDS. These plants sure are handy dandy and so very beautiful.
There are many examples of perennial. Below are some of the perennials that SUBURBAN FARMER uses in my garden/s:
Herbs:
Chives
Fennel
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Lemon Balm
Vegetables:
Asparagus
Artichoke
Rhizomes
Rhubarb
Silverbeet
Spring Onion
Sweet Potato
Taro
Ethiopian Cabbage
Burdock
Fruits: REMEBERING DORMANCY IN SOME SPECIES
Apples
Apricots
Pear
Avocado
Banana
Plantain
Berries (Blackberries, Blueberries, Rasberries, etc)
Citrus (Lemon, Limes, Oranges, etc)
Pineapple
Fig
Grapes
Strawberries
Flowers:
Achillea
Violets and Daisys
Artemisia
Bacopa
Coleus
Bromeliad
Lavender
Sage
Cone Flower
Valerian
Mountain Marigold
Gerbera
Begonias
Hibiscus
Blessed LOVE
RAS MARK SUBURBAN FARMER