Eating food directly out of the garden is one of my biggest joys! I find growing my own food to be rewarding, satisfying, and delicious. Being self sufficient, even in a small way, feels empowering. It’s reassuring knowing that there is food right in our own yard. It’s there if we were to need it in an emergency. Besides native plants I’ve focused much of our yard on edible perennial plants that thrive and are easy to grow here in Portland, Oregon. Perennial plants don’t need to be replanted every year, and there is always a food source in the yard.
Here are 5 of my favorite easy to grow edible perennial plants
Raspberries — They are so delicious, prolific and easy, it’s hard not to choose this as my number one perennial food crop! Raspberry plants like lots of sun and are fairly drought tolerant. I water them more as the berries are developing, but often we have rain then too which makes it even easier. They need some sort of support to keep them upright and in check. Here in Portland, raspberries are ripe in late June and early July. Raspberries make great crisps, pies, muffins, snacks, topped on cereal, with yogurt, or just straight from the vine. I make everything I can with them fresh and then preserve them as jam and in the freezer. They are wonderful in a baked winter dessert or in a smoothie, which gives you the sweet taste of summer sunshine on a cold day. We received our heirloom variety from a friend who had gotten theirs from their grandfather. Ask around, a neighbor or friend may have some to gift you since they spread and it’s easy to dig up a plant. Bonus: the leaves have medicinal uses.
Asparagus — yum! It’s such a treat to have fresh asparagus right outside the back door. The plant grows into the most spectacular tall lacy ferns 5-6′ tall later in the season, which turn a beautiful golden yellow in the fall. The only drawback is that once you plant the crowns, you need to wait 3 years before harvesting. So plant them asap! Asparagus plants prefer full sun. They are ready to harvest early in spring through June. To harvest, simply bend a stalk to the ground and it will snap off at the right place. As the season progresses be sure to leave some of the stalks so they can grow leaves and gather nutrients for next year. We planted 3 crowns that still provide food for us nearly 20 years later. For about two months we have enough for a meal for 2 every couple of days, or enough to toss into eggs for breakfast daily. Our plants are starting to produce less at this point because of their age, so I will plant new ones in the garden soon.
Garlic Chives — What a sweet little addition to the garden. There are almost always chives to eat year round from this perennial plant. Not all chive plants are perennial, so look specifically for garlic chives. They have pretty pink flowers too (which are also edible) and look nice tucked into the garden. They can be planted in a container as well. The plants require a fairly low amount of water. They are easy to grow and maintain. Plant them in part to full sun. The plants grow up to 2′ tall and live in the garden for many years. They taste delicious, like chives with a garlic kick. When you need that something extra to spice up or garnish a dip, salad, stir fry, appetizer or to top your grilled crostini, garlic chives are always there for you. Last year I divided my 2 plants into 6, and the new ones are all thriving.
Rhubarb — Provide some sun and occasional water, and you will have rhubarb for years. It’s a big plant, so be sure to give it some space. Rhubarb likes full sun and grows 3′ wide and up to 4′ tall. The plant dies back in winter and returns in early spring. Rhubarb makes great desserts, jam, compote stewed with raisins, iced tea, syrup, and you can even roast it. It doesn’t need much tending. Harvest is May through July. Gently twist the stalks at the base and pull sideways to harvest. The big beautiful leaves look great in landscaping and also make a good ground cover that keeps weeds out. The leaves are poisonous to eat, but I find they also make a great mulch in the garden after you harvest the stalks. This plant can withstand drought conditions and likes compost to be added around it every spring and fall.
Evergreen Huckleberries — Vaccinium ovatum gets a gold star because it’s edible and a Pacific Northwest native too. Once it’s established it produces small delicious berries with gorgeous rich purple color. The berries do take a while to pick because of their size. It’s an excellent plant to incorporate into your yard for wildlife habitat. Ours attracts many birds year round. I’ve also seen squirrels and possums eating the berries. Evergreen Huckleberry bushes make wonderful landscape plants with their dark green glossy evergreen leaves. This huckleberry variety prefers full sun or part sun, has low water requirements, and is easy to care for. Its only downfall is that it is very slow growing, so plant several right away. Enjoy the berries fresh or freeze them. They can be used to cook up a lovely cobbler or to make your pancakes extra special. It’s a joy to run out to the garden to pick a handful of fresh huckleberries for breakfast in the late summer and early fall. Be sure to look for the evergreen variety. There is another native variety that is also fabulous, but that one is deciduous, smaller, and much harder to grow.
Creating a food forest in your yard with edible landscaping is fun, economical and beautiful. There are many gorgeous plants which can provide sustenance. Often you can get plants from friends or neighbors or start them from seed. Grow food not lawns!
