Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Pink Purslane (
Montia sibirica
)
P&S
L
Salad; mild
Salad Burnet* (
Sanguisorba minor
)
P&S
L
Salad; mild
Chickweed* (
Stellaria media
)
S
L
Salad; mild
Lamb's Lettuce (
Valerianella locusta
)
S
L
Salad; mild
Winter Purslane (
Claytonia perfoliata
)
S
L
Salad; mild
Turkish Rocket (
Bunias orientalis
)
P
M
Salad; tasty
Chicory (
Cichorium intybus
)
P
Various
Salad; tasty
Herb Patience (
Rumex patiencia
)
P
T
Salad; tasty
Land Cress (
Barbarea verna
)
S
L/M
Salad; tasty
Rocket (
Eruca sativa
)
S
L/M
Salad; tasty
Herb patience (
Rumex patientia
)
P
T
Salad; tasty
Nasturtium (
Tropaeolum majus
)
S
L
Salad; tasty
Ramsons* (
Allium ursinum
)
P
L/M
Leaves
Welsh Onions (
Allium fistulosum
)
P
M
Leaves
Everlasting Onions (
Allium perutile
)
P
L
Leaves
Tree Onions (
Allium cepa proliferum
)
P
M
Leaves
Skirret (
Sium sisarum
)
P
M
Roots
Jerusalem Artichokes (
Helianthus tuberosus
) P
T
Roots
Notes:
Sizes are approximate only:
Low - less than 30cm; Medium - 30-60cm; Tall - over 60cm.
* Indicates a wild plant - seed available from wildflower specialists.
Many seed catalogues list perennial vegetables under 'Herbs'.
Details of many of the above plants are given in
How To Make A Forest Garden
.
Growing native plants is a way of working with nature rather than against, of accepting her
gifts rather than imposing our demands. It is co-operation rather than confrontation. It both
benefits the local ecology and makes life easier for us. Native plants tend to 'grow like a
weed' with very little effort on our part, and though they play host to many insects and dis-
ease organisms these rarely reach pest or disease proportions as the plants have evolved to
coexist with them.
One of the great advantages of perennials is that they are ready early in the spring. They
spend the winter as rootstocks or bulbs, and when spring comes they are ready to burst
forth above ground with masses of leaves when annual vegetables are still only seeds in
the packet, or at best seedlings in the tray. In the winter, when the perennials have mostly
died down, there are annuals, such as brassicas, roots, land cress and lamb's lettuce that are
