Tim Matcham Garden Design

Those new to gardening and growing your own would be forgiven for thinking that every crop requires annual planting of seeds. Many edibles do fall in to this category and of course it is possible to save seeds from one season ready to plant the next. You can even swap your excess seeds with friends and neighbours to vary what you are growing.

Wouldn’t it be great though if instead of having to sow fresh seeds each year you just waited for the plant to come up and produce food for you? You are probably getting interested now – particularly if you have limited space and time. You heard right plant once and crop for ever!

Of course fruit trees and bushes fall in to this category – but here we look at two plants that are easy to grow, require very little maintenance and will just keep going!

First up is rhubarb.

I have just been given a couple of portions of root from a friend who has split their existing plants. Splitting them every few years helps to keep the fresh and strong. So splitting them has two benefits, firstly they help keep the plants healthy but also provide an opportunity to give plants away. If you start now then in a couple of years you too can give a piece of root away to someone else to have a go! Rhubarb can be grown naturally or many people force them under special clocheswhich helps blanche the stems. Picking is easy simply pull the stalk away from the base when it is ready to eat. Take care to discard the leaves to the compost as they are poisonous and shouldn’t be eaten.

I am not a fan of the texture of rhubarb personally but I do like the flavour! My favourite recipe simply involves cutting the stem in to inch long chunks and simmering for a few minutes until reduced to a soft texture. Adding banana helps soften the flavour a little, and add honey as a sweetener. Blend with some custard and chill in the fridge.

Secondly is root artichoke

 - again this is a plant once crop for ever vegetable. Jerusalem artichokes have an added bonus of producing tall sunflower like blooms. Best planted towards the back of a border. A neighbour kindly left a bag of their split out stock and in a couple of years you will be able to as well ( not to me – I already have some!) These are a root vegetable resembling a rather knobbly potato and they have a sweet flavour that combines well with potato. Be warned though! These are often referred to as f**tichokes for good reason!

The joy of both these plants is that they easily combine with a regular flower borderwhilst producing food at the same time – a real bonus! Anyone feeling even more adventurous can also try globe artichokes which are a real treat – if slightly messy, to eat! The plants are very architectural and make quite a statement so make sure you have plenty of room for these beauties.

So for food crops that don’t need an allotment or green fingers why not try rhubarb and artichoke and add some variety to your kitchen dinner table. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve!

Tags:   benefit · Garden Organic · gardening · grow your own · Inspiration · lifestyle · low maintenance · money saving · One Pot Pledge · Plant · sustainable · valueNo Comments