7 Easy Perennial Vegetables To Grow: Harvest Year After Year... 👩‍🌾 🧑‍🌾

There's a group of plants that you can plant once and harvest year in year out. They're called Edible Perennials.
Many of these plants are not commonly known, but they deserve to be because not only do they practically grow themselves but many of them are delicious and beautiful too.
In this week's episode, Ben reveals 7 edible perennial vegetables that are easy to grow, for a range of hardiness zones. So wherever you live in the world, there's something here for you!
Want to find out more about perennial vegetables? See our other video on this topic here:
• 5 Must-Grow Perennial ...
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gardenplanner.motherearthnews...
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[@FOR8YESHUA]

1.) Ostrich Fern taste like asparagus & green beans, 2. Nine-Star Broccoli 3.) HorseRadish Armoracia Rusticana Zone 5, 4.) Wild Garlic illium Ursinum Zone 4, 5.) Good King Henry Blitum Bonus - Henricus (Wild Spinach) Zone 5, 6.) Sorrel Rumex Acetosa Zone 5, 7.) Chicory Chicorium Intybus Zone 3 with one type being Radicchio,

[@Anne--Marie]

Thank you from zone 9.

[@whatilearnttoday5295]

Fern: Cardiac Glycosides. Eat blanched Fiddleheads only, not raw and not any other part of the plant. Wild garlic: Unforgiving look-a-likes, avoid.

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

The hidden truth 🌳The Connections (2021) [short documentary] 🌳

[@eventhisidistaken]

I always kind of wanted to grow horseradish - but I don't eat that much of it so I never did. But now I know the leaves can be eaten too! Add that top sweet potatoes as an "eat everything" plant.

[@Anne--Marie]

@@eventhisidistaken Horseradish leaves are beautiful. It is a stunning plant. (Used to live in zone 5 in Michigan, now in Florida. Ick)

[@clb50]

I had NO IDEA you could take cuttings from some of the plants you mention, like KALE! Would love a video on many of the "lesser known" plants we can propegate from cuttings. What a great way to save money, which is so needed for many of us at this time. Thank you so much for your video!! ❤️

[@GrowVeg]

Great idea. 😀 Thank you for watching.

[@ellingtonlover7319]

Charles Dowding did a video on taking tomato cuttings and keep them growing over the winter in a greenhouse and planting them out late Spring. I'm trying it this year and if I get a few to survive, I could get some tomatoes even earlier next year.

[@deanmean3230]

@@ellingtonlover7319 Watched that same video and planning to do the same.

[@clb50]

@@ellingtonlover7319 I'm doing that this year as well and already took suckers off my favorite plants and put in water to root. I'm bringing the plants inside the house however .. my greenhouse isnt warm enough. I'm a first year gardener and excited to learn all of this!

[@clb50]

@Rosanna Petiole great idea! I'm okay with kale coming up everywhere.

[@doinacampean9132]

I actually planted a horseradish root from the grocery store and it grew into a small bush :) Very yummy leaves! Will leave the root alone this year...

[@gibsongirl6816]

Fiddleheads are wild here in New England/ USA. We go and gather them and they literally are a treat, and free. They taste very close to asparagus. They are delicious sauteed. I also make a creamed soup with them. Literally use them the same a you would asparagus. I have never heard of buying them to grow. I would look into how to multiply them. As I said, they grow wild here all over in the forest. Very interesting on the wild garlic. It would be hardy for my zone. I would love to see how people cook with them. My favorite perennial I grow is Sunchokes. Absolutely need nothing and I have an abundance of a potato like crop.

[@GrowVeg]

Sunchokes are very reliable - beautiful in a soup. I love the wild garlic, but a little tends to go a long way as it really is very garlicky.

[@jwrightgardening]

Thank you for some new ideas to try, Good King Henry, sorrell, the garlicky thing (I'll have to watch again for the name). I tried growing chicory this year but it didn't come up so I'll try again. One of the best ways to discover perennial veggies is to leave things growing through the winter even when you think they might be dead. I save most of my garden clean up until spring when I start seeing sprouts. I have had a regular standard broccoli grow for 5 years before it died. It would flower and that stem would die back and then another stem or three would sprout from the stem towards the bottom and produce small heads, even in the winter and in snow. It never produced viable seeds so I was sad about that especially once it died. After the second year I had to tie it to a stake because it was so top heavy with branches, it kept falling over and uprooting itself. I just stuck it back in the soil and it kept growing. A surprise I had this year was finding several leeks that had flowered, suddenly have new baby growths at the base. A little closer examination and they are bunching! Also a purple cauliflower that we ate in the spring, we left it to straggle through the summer and now it's fall and it's regrowing another nice big head.

[@GrowVeg]

That’s really great to hear. Sometimes exercising a little patience if you can can really pay off. 😀

[@Chotabear]

Wood sorrel ( Oxalis acetosa ) is another delicious sorrel. Looks like clover. Been very abundant this year and is especially abundant in containers. I munch on them like sweets.

[@Rumade]

oh yes, that lovely almost apple sweetie taste! Gorgeous

[@adriennefloreen]

You can add (Oxalis) plus (a list) to that. Many plants in that family are edible, everywhere has its own native ones and weed ones

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

The hidden truth 🌳The Connections (2021) [short documentary] 🌳

[@eventhisidistaken]

FYI, you can eat clover too (but best to know the variety, as not all have been researched, though none are known to be harmful).

[@adriennefloreen]

@@eventhisidistaken You can also eat Medicago polymorpha and find interesting Chinese recipes for it online. Interestingly, I have numerous oxalis and clover and medic species in my yard, all which have leaves that look like clovers and most of my friends cannot tell apart, and all are edible and taste very different from each other.

[@legendbird2008]

1. Ostrich Green 2. Perennial Brassicas Hardiness Zone 8

[@lauragarmon6969]

Mom used to tell us how she loved fiddle head ferns as a child during the Great Depression.

[@Rumade]

I've got 2 great books on this subject. 1 is Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier- basically a short encyclopaedia of perennial veg, including aquatics! Thanks to that one, this year I've tried Sagittaria latifolia (broad leaf arrowhead or duck potato) in my pond, and Nelumbo nucifera (lotus) in a half barrel in my greenhouse. Can't wait to try these aquatic tubers! The second book is a field guide to 山菜 (lit. Mountain vegetables) I bought in Japan. It's a foraging handbook covering edible wild plants found in Japan, but many like mugwort are found here too. Mugwort can be used to flavour mochi sweets! I love this book because the cooking suggestion for nearly all of them is to tempura fry them :D BTW, while I was out there I tried salt pickled Japanese knotweed... it was delicious, but of course I don't recommend introducing THAT perennial into your garden!

[@GrowVeg]

Salt pickled Japanese knotweed - what a great way to deal with this rampant weed!

[@80sforever3]

When i was a child we lived near nypa marsh, between my house and the nypa was a big pond full of yam, beside the marsh up towards the road about a football field of ferns, my chickens loved to troop into the fern field, the worms were so fat there :D

[@hardstylelife5749]

I’m an agronomist and I must say that I didn’t know at all about some of these perennial; as always there is always something new to learn. Great video!

[@GrowVeg]

We're always learning as gardeners, we really are!

[@catiepower3550]

Fun fact! Chicory was used in New Orleans in the USA as a way to keep coffee from rotting. Due to the swampy area, coffee couldn’t keep without it. It has a robust flavor so if you like a mild coffee, you may want to lessen the quantity.

[@GrowVeg]

Interesting fact Catie, thanks for sharing. :-)

[@joanhampton2378]

Round leaf purslane is a good perennial too. You see it growing wild in cracks in sidewalks and parking lots. Use in salads. Good source of omerga 3's. There is also a wild needle leaf version.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for the recommendation Joan.

[@christiegrows2022]

I’ve just sown some walking stick cabbage. Can’t wait to try it. I’m moving more perennially for next year

[@GrowVeg]

Great move!

[@aimeeinjapan6575]

We love when wild ostrich fern season comes around in spring! Often eaten as tempura, or boiled and mixed with mayo & bonito flakes with a dash of soy sauce.

[@danyoutube7491]

I would never have thought ferns were edible!

[@GrowVeg]

Oh yum! Will have to try that.

[@cherylreid2964]

@@danyoutube7491 not all ferns are edible👍

[@danyoutube7491]

@@cherylreid2964 Cheers, I will be cautious :)

[@hin_hale]

Ostrich fern (Strutbräken) is a woodland plant here in Sweden. You see it now and then growing thickly on the forest floor. I had no idea you could eat the shoots though. I'm definitly going to try some next spring!

[@whatilearnttoday5295]

Blanched fiddleheads only. Ferns are not editble and contain Cardiac Glycosides.

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

The hidden truth 🌳The Connections (2021) [short documentary] 🌳

[@smas3256]

Yes but I cook them longer than just a blanching for fiddleheads. My whole family loves them.

[@louisetrueman2429]

Brilliant collection of plants ! Thanks so much 🥰

[@toniedalton5448]

Chicory gives coffee a good flavor when it’s mixed in. Southern style. It grows wild here with beautiful blue flowers. We have a type of wild garlic here called “ramps”. But you eat the whole thing like a garlic. Or onion. I got some started last year from a friend’s garden. Have a blessed day all

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks Tonie - sounds like I'm halfway there with the Southern style coffee!

[@amandabecker2927]

So excited to learn that the ferns that overrun our property are actually edible!

[@malcolmnew8973]

I have many of these wonderful plants already, some do better than others for me in North Wales (with a view of Snowdon's Peak) but they are always interesting and useful, especially in the hungry gap. Perennial purple tree collards and kales do very well here, I have the variegated form of daubentons and Taunton Dean but prefer the former for taste. I would like to grow ostrich fern but would need to take care not to confuse with the bracken fronds which pop up from time to time. I have not yet tried good king Henry but might give it go. For a perennial spinach I grow Hablitzia tamnoides (3 varieties) also called Caucasian spinach. It is a somewhat incongruous shade loving climber once established with useful early shoots which can be steamed like asparagus, but leave a few to climb several metres up sticks into trees or a trellace. They gave mild spinach Like leaves, which don't get bitter. Check out Steven Barstow's posts for more information.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for the recommendation of Caucasian spinach Malcolm, will have to seek this one out too.

[@k.p.1139]

Hey Ben, any chance you can do a video on spices, like peppercorns? And maybe even coffee plants? Thanks..

[@shawneenhammer4241]

Yes I have a coffee tree seeds that I got they organic in fact but I don't want to waste them in wanted to see some kind of video on them somewhere before I do it cuz they are quite precious to me 🌿✌️

[@k.p.1139]

@@shawneenhammer4241 same here!

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for the suggestion - will add this to our list of topic ideas. :-)

[@Coni2009]

I'd never have thought of having to plant wild garlic, in Cumbria it's pretty omnipresent in Spring/early summer. 100% agree it's great for garlic butter and pesto.

[@malcolmnew8973]

Wild garlic (Ransoms) very common, in fact overly dominant as a herb layer in some woods on the Isle of Anglesey but not so much on the edge of Snowdonia NP. I have introduced it in my garden but mindful it can get a bit invasive so I will keep an eye on it. I agree it makes great pesto as well!

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

The hidden truth 🌳The Connections (2021) [short documentary] 🌳

[@laurieforsman7820]

Fiddleheads! Yes, here in northern New England in the U.S. we eat them every May! You'll see people by the sides of the road sometimes, gathering them wild, but I also have some on the edge of my property and in my neighbor's yard as well -- she does not eat hers. So easy! And thanks for including some other plants like sorrel or Good King Henry that can be grown where we live in USDA zone 4B!

[@GrowVeg]

What a wonderful resource you have there Lauria. I've yet to try fiddleheads but very much look forward to doing so.

[@titanlurch]

Have you ever tried the common Day Lilly. The whole plant is eatable . The white part of the spring time shoots are delicate in taste. The flower buds have a sharp tang and the open flower make great garnish in salads.

[@GrowVeg]

I know they're edible but haven't yet tried them. Will seek them out and give them a try!

[@haroldnicholos7436]

Roots are like a mild radish

[@deanablythe9394]

Thanks this was interesting, the only one I have heard of before was the wild garlic, all the others are new to me, great source of information your channel has.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks Deana, so pleased you enjoyed it.

[@Cheezitnator]

Cool, I live in Florida where ferns pop up everywhere in the shade. Good to know I can plant an edible variety on the shady side of my house.

[@francesbatycki404]

Fascinating episode. Here in western Canada, we probably have different plants to consider, but it’s worth some research. 👍👍👍🇨🇦❤️🇨🇦👍🥕👩‍🌾

[@GrowVeg]

Absolutely! So many options available at different hardiness levels.

[@hunthicks]

You should try strawberry spinach (Blitum capitatum) as well, it gets these very red, spinachy flavored berries on it and it even survives the cold winters here in Canada. I've picked wild fiddleheads here in the spring when they come up, but I've never tried growing them at home.

[@GrowVeg]

Definitely worth growing. 🍃

[@ginbotho6073]

I've tried starting this several times with no luck. Do you have any tips you can share?

[@myrustygarden]

Never heard of it 🤔 I’ll take a look 👀 thanks

[@adriennefloreen]

Potentilla Indica is another cool plant with strawberry like fruits that aren't sweet. Also known as false/mock strawberry.

[@simonesmit6708]

@@ginbotho6073 if you're asking about fiddle heads, they do best in bright shade. I have some that have taken over a shade garden. I give them well composted manure in late spring and then just ignore them except to water about once a week. They are next to a rhododendron so they get some of that fertilizer as well.

[@SunnySensei]

Don't forget hostas! They are shade loving Perennial similar to ferns that taste great harvested in the spring.

[@jog1546]

Fab thanks, I have 9 star, kale and chicory already but some new ones for me to try 😊

[@taleandclawrock2606]

So much great info, and so well presented, thankyou!

[@Thecrazy4some]

New subscriber here, just watched some of your videos as we recently returned to the UK after 8 years in New Zealand and we are on our own sustainability/ growing journey which we vlog. All fun in the learning, so thank-you for sharing.

[@cherylreid2964]

Hullo from AotearoaNZL 🌏

[@Thecrazy4some]

@@cherylreid2964 hi to you as well I hope all is going well in Nz, we miss being there but enjoying our new adventure

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much for the sub! And welcome back to the UK. I will have to check out your channel. :-)

[@Thecrazy4some]

@@GrowVeg Thank-you and I will need all the tips I can get as we have just been offered an allotment so our journey expands if we decide to take it

[@gingerhebblethwaite]

11:27 is not a face that inspires me to try chicory coffee! Any chance you could let your UK viewers know who you have bought your plants from?

[@GrowVeg]

I'm not keen on eating/drinking in front of the camera - the chicory coffee was, hand on heart, a very close alternative to coffee! I genuinely loved it! For chicory root you can try getting seeds from www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item_334n_cichorium_intybus_seeds The roots I dug up were dug up with permission from someone else's garden.

[@tomawildstar8134]

Thank you for fiddleheads! I have a great space for these!

[@gaasyendietha5070]

Very original ideas, love that you indicate the zone for each

[@juliarroberts1621]

Thank you for this video. I live in a tropical environment and the ferns, tree collard, some of the broccoli’s, would do great here. I will be planting some out in the garden in December.

[@valoriegriego5212]

Good-day Ben!👋 I've heard of all the plants you served up; however, I haven't tried planting many of them in our edible landscape. Your video has given me the itch to try a few. Thanks!😃💕

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased Valorie. :-)

[@normancoutts]

Very helpful suggestions - thanks!

[@teresajorgenson2308]

Awesome video! I had not heard of many of these!!

[@lindas9806]

I learned a lot !!

[@timtation5837]

Great video Ben… All edible perennials are worderful, some plants can self sow thier seeds, which is the next best thing… I know this isn’t either but I sow spinach seeds in the fall , just as the tree leaves are falling… Let them get covered in leaves and ignore… If you live in a place with snow, they will usually pop up through the last of the snow (as it’s melts away)… It’s one of the first things to pop up in late winter/early spring… Another one I almost consider perennial is miners lettuce because it always seeds itself. I have a patch of miners lettuce that has regrown itself for well over a decade, and it is still going strong (and I don’t do anything but pick it, and I never have to water it , weed it, or anything). I plant a lot of garden crops in the fall (just like the spinach I mentioned)… You would be surprised how many different plants will just pop up, earlier than anything you would have considered transplanting from the greenhouse… Sometimes I add row covers during spring frosts. But talk about early salads, most of my garden turns green before the snow has fully melted and that green is all veggies. Fall planting is well worth experimenting with, wherever you might be growing… It is mimicking nature, and can yield spectacular results… And don’t forget brassicas all winter long… Btw, all broccoli types will keep growing if you just clip the heads, and will overwinter just fine, as long as bugs and water are controlled. (Bug netting, not pesticides… Pesticides poison plants and soil, avoid them at all costs). Winter produces my favorite veggies of the entire year, fall is my favorite time to sow spring seeds, and row covers and tunnels can mitigate anything nature throws at you that isn’t a full on natural disaster. Shade cloth in the summer, light bug netting for the rest of the time (unless flowering and pollination are taking place)… Add in a few cold frames and a decent greenhouse and you are set for year round harvesting.

[@GrowVeg]

All great advice, thanks Tim. I know what you mean about self-seeders - they're so handy to have!

[@nancyspruiell347]

Tim, can I ask what zone you are in? This is a brilliant idea! I love the idea of fall seeding for spring!

[@winnyputeri9872]

BEN..!!!!!!.I love see the falling apple behind you. I can not imagine your country has beautiful home garden. I watch several channel from your country and every has an apple tree. So briliyant. In our country, apple is expensive and we do not have habit to grow our fruit even in our country side. Only a little of us understand about home gardening. Thank you for sharing with us here 💐

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased you enjoyed the video. And yes, we're very lucky to have apples growing so abundantly. :-)

[@amerruru2443]

Thank you so much 🌻

[@eternallearner6026]

Thank you for the quick tutorial - I now have my 2023 perennial shopping list!

[@GrowVeg]

Nice one!

[@susancross722]

Fascinating thank you.

[@AJsGreenThumbLLC]

Another awesome upload Ben! I read about fiddlehead fern but never was brave enough to give it a shot. I may do just that next spring. Thanks for sharing!

[@cherylreid2964]

Just remember that not all ferns are edible 👍

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers for that. Yes, I'm looking forward to trying mine once they get established.

[@peacestartswithasmile2257]

wonderful message Sir, thanks for spreading the knowledge 🙂

[@mariecrowe8843]

Omg….so much new stuff I never knew….perennial plants are so up my street, thank you ❤

[@woodsie5796]

We have wild fiddleheads all over the place in Maine and fiddlehead season is a favorite. There are a lot of "secret" places that people go to pick and they sell really great and go fast! "Ramps," are also wild here, but don't get oticed as much as fiddleheads. This was an excellent video, thanks much!

[@GrowVeg]

You're very welcome, thanks for watching. I hadn't realised you guys had ramps also.

[@genshinF2Play]

you make gardening so fun and entertaining. i've been binge watching your videos !

[@GrowVeg]

Great stuff - thanks!

[@bethdevoe2842]

I love your energy and love for the garden!

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks Beth, appreciate it.

[@angelakenyon7490]

Great tips...thank you Ben ...X

[@Inpreesme]

Thank you

[@bluestar.8938]

Yes, i have. Thank you Mr Ben : )

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for watching @Blue Star - always great to have you along. :-)

[@montseverges7536]

I decided not to stay long just a little bit more. Well, it was the best 5 more minutes. I found wonderful as I didn't know about edible perennials.

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased you stayed for more of the video. :-)

[@michelleadams2997]

Great vid Ben , really interesting thanks

[@howarddavies3744]

Thanks for that, I have a perennial kale and sorrel but some of the others were new to me.

[@eruinihawke3628]

Marvellous work

[@zone4garlicfarm]

Ostrich ferns grow wild around here on the flood plains next to brooks and rivers. It's possible to pick enough fiddleheads to fill a 5 gallon pail in under an hour. They can be blanched and frozen, canned or pickled. We don't have the wild garlic that you mention but we do have ramps (Allium tricoccum), commonly known as wild leeks. They look very similar to the wild garlic. Years ago I found a patch of horseradish on an abandoned farm. I've been going back every year to harvest both the greens and roots. Those are three perrennial vegetables I won't be growing because I have access to all I want. I will look into 9 star broccoli.

[@GrowVeg]

That's really great to hear. Lovely to have wild leeks growing close by - I bet they're delicious!

[@JCC_1975]

I believe everyone should have a wide variety of perennial plants growing. I rent and have a few dozen perennial vegetables in containers. Love my perrinals.

[@Ryanrulesok]

Fiddleheads-heard of but didn't realise it was a fern. Brassicas-yes, grow them in my garden (catapillars love them too much too) Horseradish-yes, but noone in household likes the taste of horseradish. Wild garlic- harvest it from my local woodland area Lincoln spinach- grow in my garden Radicchio- grow in my garden It's handy having a place near me that sells seeds dirt cheap

[@GrowVeg]

Wow - you're growing most of them - very impressed!

[@ruthannecoro6198]

Fiddleheads grow wild here in Maine! A popular spring foraged veg!

[@gregolder1713]

Here's a recipe to enjoy your King Henry Spinach with (also works well with asparagus, young spinach, and tonight I'm using young rocket and sorrel): Salmon Wellington. Thaw out puff pastry and roll it out into two rectangles slightly larger than your filet of salmon. brush with beaten egg and lay down half of your greens to form a bed; ladle on a light drizzle of lemon-dill sauce, then layer on your filet, a grind of pepper, then a second drizzle of the sauce, followed with the rest of your greens. Cover with the upper crust (also brushed on the inside with a bit of the egg wash) and seal by crimping the sides. Finally, give the outer crust a brush with the egg and cut a few slits before popping into a 400 degree F oven for 25-30 min. Serve with a salad or other veg.

[@GrowVeg]

This sounds totally delicious Greg - I might have to try it myself.

[@paulwilliams200]

Fiddleheads are an annual spring delicacy here in East Coast Canada (The Maritimes) where they grow wild in profusion along riverbanks. I don't know of any that are cultivated, but it's a great idea.

[@peggyruggles3754]

Yes It is a delicacy

[@elliebellie1983og]

West coast too! We get lots on Vancouver island

[@rachelmiller764]

I was taught about fiddleheads when I lived in NH USA, delicious!

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

The hidden truth 🌳The Connections (2021) [short documentary] 🌳

[@dixietenbroeck8717]

Very occasionally I've bought fiddleheads at my local *Raley's Grocery, a Northern California, **_ONLY_** chain of supermarkets.* *They were **_REALLY_** lovely to eat, too: YUM!*

[@rubens667]

I have never heard of any of these!!

[@CL-im9lk]

This is absolutely fascinating to me. I didn’t know any of them except wild garlic. Thanks a lot.

[@GrowVeg]

You're most welcome, thanks for watching. :-)

[@augeniasestokaite4674]

Thank you-

[@PNW-Whidbey]

We live on Whidbey Island, north of Seattle, where the climate is similar to where you are. We have a wide variety of ferns on our property and have eaten a variety of fiddleheads, but most are very strongly flavored - licorice-tasting especially - and they don't do well sauteed with garlic/mushrooms/onions. I'm excited to introduce a new, milder type of fern close to the house, just for eating. Thank you for the inspiration!

[@GrowVeg]

Great to have tried them. Hope the milder fern makes good eating. :-)

[@sannekrottje3320]

Truly inspiring, thanks a lot from the Nederlands

[@GrowVeg]

Thank you. :-)

[@Hansulf]

Most important thing for this videos where you are planning stuff, explain what your weather and soil characteristics are...

[@rawfoodelectric]

Ben, you're such a breath of fresh air...I, myself, am a forager and love picking Fiddleheads in the spring out here in the woods where my husband and I live. Also, since I make Fire Cider every autumn season for the winter months, I decided to try putting down my own Horseradish plant. We had an old fire ring that we placed in the soil at ground level and planted the horseradish inside of it to keep it from proliferating too far into the yard. I am hopeful to be able to harvest from it in a year. Something I would like to add to your wild edible list are lilies. I have the common orange day lily (Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus) along the front of my home that were here when we first moved in 30 years ago. I have since found that they were first introduced to the United States in the late 19th Century as an ornamental. But have also eaten the young leaves in the spring. They are very refreshing...tender and mild of flavor...very agreeable. Now I have a request: teach us how to make a cold frame and WHY I would want one in zone 3. Thanks!!

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for your kind comments. I knew day lilies were edible but have never tried them - will have to give it a go. Thanks for the video suggestion. In the meantime you may find this one on cold frames helpful, though it's a few years old, so do excuse the more wooden presentation! kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2Oze4NrhK-CZqc

[@smarties6342]

I like to grow horseradish as a food item but also as an ornamental in the garden. Planted with castor bean and elephant ears it fills in a space quite nicely with an exotic tropical look. Living in southern Ontario Canada zone 5b-6 it is about as tropical planting as we can get lol. I sow castor beans (wearing gloves) in the spring and when it warms up further I plant the elephant ears by then then horseradish has been off and growing for a while. This year also threw in some hollyhock and delphinium seeds in the same location. Last year I harvested castor bean seeds and have plenty to do me for years to come. I wear gloves in the fall cutting back the castor plant and it goes in to trash bags and not compost. As a precaution I also don't eat the horseradish from this bed but I do compost the leaves.

[@GrowVeg]

Never tried castor beans. They sound intriguing.

[@leahwithheld783]

@@GrowVeg They are not for eating. They are extremely toxic.

[@smarties6342]

@@GrowVeg "Ricinus communis" is the proper name. Purely an ornamental has the whole plant is highly poisonous. That bean said castor oil is made from the "beans" (seed pods).The seed also contains ricin, a highly potent water-soluble toxin, which is also present in lower concentrations throughout the plant. The leaves grow very large and the plant itself quite tall. Leaves are green and burgundy in colour and quite exotic looking.

[@chaddamp2894]

FAB thanks..great post

[@kayhowlett2334]

Never tried eating ferns although I do grow them as I have a lot of shade in the garden. Must try the Ostritch fern 💖

[@cherylreid2964]

Remember, not all ferns are edible 👍

[@andjaskurteska5217]

Amazing and so anformativ

[@growtocycle6992]

Potatoes can be good as perennial, so long as you don't completely harvest (leave some as seed potatoes). Rhubarb is an amazing perennial!!

[@GrowVeg]

Very true - always get potatoes popping up again.

[@NMW80]

Yep I have both at home and they keep popping up each year on their own.

[@denisconor648]

Good stuff.

[@nigelmccomb8106]

Excellent, very interesting

[@melanieallen8980]

I have never heard of ostrich ferns..sounds nice!Informative video...

[@rumpolstilscin]

Yes, Fiddleheads are great.

[@vivianbailey5214]

Thanks Ben! I grow horseradish here in Orkney but never knew that the leaves are edible.

[@joelfazeli6392]

Thanks a lot ! I like the fact that you don't go to for classics and shoot for some I never heared before (and that's hard...). Greetings from France.

[@GrowVeg]

Great to hear that. Thanks for watching :-)

[@violethomesteadgeorgia7278]

I have a lot of ferns like these in my woods. Will have to research to verify what kind they are

[@rosybiggs7661]

I didn’t know about the ferns or the other plants you mentioned! Of course I will try these!

[@cherylreid2964]

Remember, not all ferns are edible 👍

[@joyiacyr352]

We harvest them in the wild to blanch and freeze for year round enjoyment.

[@debkincaid2891]

You share the most interesting information! 🤗

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers Deb!

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

Just Good King Henry Never heard of 😮

[@shodospring]

I have a good ostrich fern garden already, the sorrel is showing up wild but I'm not so good at eating it. Still haven't gotten around to the others but I built a primitive plastic greenhouse (to save the tomatoes) and look forward to using it. [

[@ariadgaia5932]

THANK YOU SO FREAKING MUCH!!!! I found your channel yesterday while at the office on my break and am most grateful! I love how you talk and your personality. Plus, the information you share is precisely what I need for starting my future permaculture farm! I've so many allergies to fruits and vegetables that I can't eat most conventional foods.... The alternative foods you offer and talk about are a real life saver and nutrition booster for me~ THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! Love and hugs from an expat in Japan!

[@GrowVeg]

Ahh, thanks Aria. And a very warm welcome to the channel - it's a pleasure to have you join us! :-)

[@MichaelJosephJr934]

I like it!

[@ninemoonplanet]

Fiddlehead greens are delicious! I wondered which variety of fern they come from, now I know (thank you) and can find them to grow.

[@ninemoonplanet]

I love horseradish, got some out of the ground, and learned VERY quickly to grind or cut it OUTDOORS. Factory workers wear hazmat suits and gas masks 😂

[@GrowVeg]

I bet the fumes made your eyes water somewhat!

[@pumpjackpiddlewick]

I so so so want to grow ferns, but didn't know you could eat them! Wonder of wonders! We have a certain damp shaded corner that would be perfect. But I am still on the search for ferns (here in France) to buy. And in our bottom wooded garden - perfect for wild garlic 🙂

[@pumpjackpiddlewick]

@@NatashaAllisonMissionAFamily Will do. Thanks!

[@meikusje]

Not all ferns are edible, and some are actually poisonous, so really vital to get the right variety!

[@SmallholdingUK]

I’ve just done cuttings of my Taunton Deane and daubington kales they all took 100% and I’ve ordered some 9 star broccoli plants Love these perennial plants and going to make a perennial area at the Smallholding

[@GrowVeg]

That's really super to hear. I love the idea of perennials - a lot more resilient and, of course, long lasting.

[@GrowVeg]

Your perennial kales are looking amazing by the way!

[@SmallholdingUK]

Thank you, and thanks for taking the time to look at my little channel.

[@Warwck24]

I have not heard of half of those. I am impressed w chicory beans. Ordering now

[@GrowVeg]

Great to hear you've inspired to order them Sara. :-)

[@arno515]

Got 6 of the 7 plants, but I thought chicory was a biannual. Now I will start searching for that fern!

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

The hidden truth 🌳The Connections (2021) [short documentary] 🌳

[@katieistiredagain7288]

My dad had an allotment when I was younger and when he got given it, it was infested with horse radish, took over most of the allotments in the area, pain in the bun

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for the words of caution. I'll be keeping mine carefully hemmed in to keep it from spreading.

[@burnyizland]

I live on the edge of a forest on the West coast of Canada (don't be jealous, there's a bear been roaming around since spring so we've had to keep inside a lot) and I walk past those ferns to get to our car. Just make sure if you're harvesting them from the wild that the water they're consuming is clean as they do well in wet, disturbed areas, and are often found around effluent pipes. No Bueno. Great ideas here, thank you for sharing them.

[@GrowVeg]

Good point there, thanks for sharing. Hope you stay safe from the bear!

[@francefaucheux184]

Amazing video thanks! If you have more plants like this please share. I enjoy eating mallow in my salad. I love the taste. Also salad burnet, pansies, self heal, Silene taste good also, claytonia and my favorite cheek weeds! Thanks so much again

[@GrowVeg]

There are just so many perennial edibles. I hope to do more videos on them over the coming months. Do check out our last video on perennial vegetables though for a few more ideas

[@paul-oram]

wow what an informative movie. Ive got some good king henry plants in my garden that i grew from seed - dont harvest them the first year they go out - give them a year to establish. All the rest are new to me but I really like the idea of perennials so Im gonna try them out.

[@GrowVeg]

Great to hear that Paul - a gastronomic journey awaits you!

[@KieronRobbins]

I love your energy. Such an enthusiastic presentation! I was merely curious before I clicked the link. Now, I am fascinated. I've made several google searches during your video, ranging from your use of millet as a verb to "why is it called horseradish?" (which anyone reading this should search). Thank you!

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased to have stoked your curiosity! :-)