Life’s Flavors ~5 Must Have Garden Perennials Libby-Thesing
With temperatures below freezing it might be difficult to think about getting your garden ready for Spring planting. Hopefully you do not have too much in the ground yet, but those onions, garlic and potatoes should be fine, during this cold snap. We want to focus this month on the 5 great perennials to plant in your garden for great yields year after year.
First up, a crowd favorite at our house, asparagus. These early producers are a great plant to start out with but be sure to plant them where you want them, they pretty much stay put from year to year. We typically start with crowns with an established root. When you plant, place the crown buds up on a small mound, and fan the roots out. If you plant from seeds be sure to start your seeds indoors for the best result. If you do not have any planted there is still time to get them in the ground. Asparagus crowns can be planted 3-4 weeks prior to the last frost. Check your farmer’s almanac to determine when the last frost will be. You might get some plants the first year, but hold off on cutting, it’s better to let them go to seed and cut after the first year of planting. But if you are like us and are too excited about your new crop, it won’t hurt too much to cut that first year. Not cutting gives the plants a better chance of larger produce the following year and establishes the root system. We like to also grow a variety of asparagus, purple and green. Fresh grown asparagus taste great straight out of the ground.
A good companion to asparagus and use of the soil is the strawberry. Once the asparagus are done growing they shoot up to the sky allowing light to filter down to the soil below, which is a great location to plant your strawberry patch. To start build up a small mound and drop the roots around the mound. As it grows the first year, take off all the small flowers, so the plant can focus on building a strong root system. I know you might want to let those flowers bloom fully out and produce fruit, but establishing the roots first, ensures your plants will continue on the next year. And then you will have a bountiful harvest.
Next up are brambles, such as blackberries or raspberries. These guys are easy enough to start from vines and can produce fruit for years with a little love and encouragement. The first year probably will not produce any fruit but those second year vines once they branch out, is where the fruit will be produced. We typically have blackberries from June to mid August with the last few berries ripening up. Any branches that lead off you can pull towards the ground and shove the tip in, to help establish a new plant that you can add to your vine collection after the roots begin to grow. Be sure to let your fruit fully ripen on the vine, the longer it sits the sweeter the fruit.
One of our favorite perennial plants are herbs; such as oregano, thyme and rosemary, even mint. Make sure you plant your mint in a container or space where if it takes over you are okay with it doing that. Oregano, thyme and rosemary are fairly hardy in our area and you can keep them in the ground and cover during consecutive days of extreme cold.We also tend to plant our herbs in a slightly more protected area so that they last all season long. We have also found that our sage tends to stick around with our other herbs as well. So let’s get fragrant and tasty with some homegrown herbs.
Last but certainly not least, blueberries. These plants are one of the best to eat straight off the plant. I’m not sure if our blueberries really make it into the house to be eaten. Blueberries like acidic soil and should be mixed in with some peat moss or pine needles when planting to bring the PH level down. If your soil is too alkaline maybe a container is better. Just be sure to plant two varieties since they are not self polinating. Once again, leaving the berries on to do their thing the first year, helps to develop a better yield in subsequent years.
Do not be afraid to grow your garden for the future. Each of these plants takes at least a year to establish and produce fruit, but when it does, well done. Enjoy your harvest every year for the duration of your garden season. We hope to see more perennials springing up in yards soon.
By Allison Libby-Thesing
