Ornamental perennial veg
Q
I’d like to start growing my own food, but I don’t have time for all the bed clearing, sowing, planting, or an allotment. What perennial veg can I plant for an ornamental garden – plants that will look after themselves and deliver food? Donna Thomson, Glasgow, Scotland
A
Incorporating veg, fruit and herbs into otherwise purely ornamental gardens is a great idea, because they make handsome plants as well as yielding edible crops. Before starting, take time to analyse your gardening style. Are you neat, tidy and keen on thoughtful combinations of colour and form? Or do you have a wild approach, with plants allowed to do their own thing, knit together and self-seed?
A ‘yes’ to the first might lead you down the path of a potager, with an orderly, slightly formal appearance. Meanwhile, ‘yes’ to the second suggests an informal forest garden. Have a look at pictures of both types of garden, so you can be sure that planting perennial veg will complement the character of your plot as well as providing food.
Unlike most crops that require annual sowing or planting, perennials hold their own in a border and deliver the goods for several years. Work out what they need (such as full sun and a poor, welldrained soil for seakale, and rich soil for asparagus) and be generous with their growing space, as encroachment will reduce cropping. Be aware these plants might need extra care, mulching and feeding, as they are expected to yield a crop as well as looking good.
Asparagus crowns can be easily choked by weeds, and globe artichokes eventually need replacing with rooted offsets. Plants from the cabbage family like seakale and perennial kales enjoy a neutral-alkaline soil, so carry out a pH test and add lime if necessary. To grow Jerusalem artichokes in borders, plant a group of tubers 12in (30cm) apart and let them get on with it. They thrive almost anywhere in sun, shade, light or heavy soils. By late summer, stems 7ft (2m) tall produce small, yellow, sunflower-like blooms. Harvest tubers after plants have died back for winter. Don’t worry, there will always be a few left to grow again.