Try planting edible perennials in your garden

As you plan your edible garden this year, consider adding hardy, edible perennials—plants that live more than two years—to your usual tomatoes, peas, and lettuce. Perennial vegetables and fruits like asparagus, leeks, raspberries, and herbs such as rosemary provide great long-term value, producing over multiple years with minimal maintenance.

Here are three of our favorites:

Asparagus
While it may take a few years before you can harvest asparagus spears, once established, your plants can produce for 15 to 20 years. That’s a solid investment! Many garden stores and catalogs, like Territorial Seed, sell asparagus roots (or crowns) that give you a one- or two-year head start compared to seeds. Plant the roots in well-drained soil about 8–10 inches deep in early spring, typically between April 15 and May 15. Note that most sellers ship crowns in April, so it can be hard to find them after that.

 

Cardoon. Cardoons are striking perennial plants in the aster family, related to artichokes. Their gray-green foliage makes them excellent for low-maintenance landscaping beds. They thrive in full sun, require minimal water, and tolerate rocky or clay soil—ideal for the Northwest. Growing about 5 feet tall, cardoons produce large purple, thistle-like flowers. Unlike artichokes, prized for their flower buds, the edible part of cardoons is their thick stalks, which you can harvest in the fall by cutting them at soil level. You can boil the stalks or sauté them in butter and oil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhubarb. This beautiful perennial thrives in the Pacific Northwest with its red stalks and dark green leaves. While the stems die back at the end of the growing season, they return in spring. Stalks can range from green to red and are perfect for pies, jams, cakes, and sauces. Remember, the leaves are poisonous! In spring, cut off the flower stalks so the plant directs energy into producing stalks and leaves.