Perennial Gardening

So it is the spring and this is the time when farmers and hobbyist alike go out and start planting their vegetables and fruits.  Most of the time you will see some of your bigger box stores, like Home Depot and Lowes, start some great deals on vegetables.  And most of the time you will see people with peppers, tomatoes, and other annual plants in their buggies.  However, have you thought about the sustainability of a perennial garden.

You might be asking what is a perennial garden, or what is an annual?  So basically a perennial garden is a garden that will come back year after year as long as you take care of the plants.  And an annual is a plant that you have to replant every year.  Some examples of a perennial are strawberries, herbs, and asparagus.  And that's just to name a few.  Other perennials are nut and fruit trees, berry bushes, or grape vines.  In our main garden, we have strawberries, herbs, and grapes.  In our yard we have some nectarine trees and will be expanding our orchard to some other fruit trees.

So your next question is probably, how long do these plants live?  And that is a great question.  Every plant has a different lifespan just like animals.  For instance, a strawberry plant can last up to 5 to 6 years.  So if you bought 4 strawberry plants this year and they are taken care of you wouldn't have to buy anymore strawberries for up to 6 years.  And this helps not only with a fresh fruit but savings in your wallet.  Asparagus plants can live up to 10 years.  So imagine getting fresh asparagus out of your garden every year for 10 years, now that would be awesome.  And to one up that is the grape vines.  Grape vines can last 50 to 100 years.  I know my mind was blown too when I read that.  Now image going to the grocery store and every month you are buying a 2 pound bag of grapes for $7.00, what would it be like if you had a grape vine that was established already.  That would be $84 that you could use on something else, and you would have fresh from the vine grapes.  Now one disclaimer on the grapes is that in most cases it take 3 years for the vine to become established, so for 3 years you will be more in likely buying grapes from the grocery store.

Most of your herbs are perennials, but herbs like basil, dill and sage are annuals.  Some of your herbs will live almost forever as long as you are taking care of them, such as thyme, rosemary, and tarragon.  Oregano can live up to 10 years as long as it is properly taken care of.

In a lot of aspects, a perennial garden can save people money and time.  Also, they will produce for several years.  I hope you have learned more about perennial gardening.  We look forward to correspondence and please feel free to subscribe and follow us.