{"id":14175,"date":"2014-11-07T14:48:02","date_gmt":"2014-11-07T03:48:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/?p=14175"},"modified":"2019-01-29T22:37:25","modified_gmt":"2019-01-29T11:37:25","slug":"25-edible-survivors-hardy-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/25-edible-survivors-hardy-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"25 edibles that survive utter neglect"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Who said the greatest hunger a person has is to be needed? When it comes to gardening I’d consider it the height of success if I’ve designed myself out of the system completely. No watering, no propagating, just eating!<\/h4>\n

After 6 months of neglect: a boiling February, an unseasonably hot autumn and a cheerless winter; the food forest hadn’t even missed me. I was relieved. Some plants like the Warrigal greens, parsley and wormwood had actually attempted to take over the joint while I was gone!<\/p>\n

So this list is for the busy, busy people out there, who just want to water intermittently, then leave plants to their own devices except for the occasional, to borrow a phrase from Jackie French, “hacking back the jungle”<\/a> (maybe we can even train the chickens to this for us). I never thought I would ever curse having TOO MANY vigorous plants in the food forest, but I certainly did when I had to write this list, by number 20 I had lost the will, so I hope you find this useful! Drop me a comment if you do, I read everyone and cherish them!<\/p>\n

The Survivors & multipliers<\/h3>\n

These are the plants that not only survived, but thrived on neglect. Taking the mickey really, not for the perfect manicured potager garden, but oh so wonderful for a community food forest. They are great filler plants when a garden is just getting established, after which plants like Warrigal greens can be cut back to create a space for a new plant. Once established these hardy plants will improve the soil, protect it for moisture loss and help to create a better environment so softer plants can also take root.<\/p>\n

\n
\"The
The food forest a year ago!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

\"The
The food forest now!<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

\"nasturtium-edging-mint\"<\/p>\n

\n\"pineapple-sage\"<\/p>\n

\"chard-silverbeet\"<\/p>\n

\"parsley-food-forest\"<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

\"parsley-chard-nasturtium\"<\/p>\n

\n
    \n
  1. \n

    Nasturtiums<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

    Acts as a living mulch
    \nGreat Companions for fruit trees (repels bugs, attracts predatory insects) as well as to cabbage family, Turnips, Radishes, Cucumbers, Zucchini
    \nPretty edible flowers
    \nSeeds cam be pickled as caper substitute<\/a>
    \nLeaves can be used in salads and     pesto<\/a>
    \nSpread across the ground, roots easily by     layering<\/a>
    \nSelf-seeding<\/p>\n

  2. \n

    Chard<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

    Can be harvested all year, if it starts bolting cut the stalk and it should resprout
    \n    Good companion <\/a>for bean, cabbage family, tomato, onion
    \nYoung leaves can be used in salads
    \n    Its colourful stems are delicious<\/a> baked or grilled
    \nLeaves can be used as     spinach substitute<\/a> in warm weather
    \nSelf-seeding<\/p>\n

  3. \n

    Parsley<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

    High in vitamins and minerals<\/a>
    \n    Good companion<\/a> to asparagus, tomatoes, chives
    \n    Wonderful in falafel<\/a> stem and all!
    \nYum in     tabouli<\/a>
    \nSelf-seeding, when we came back from overseas we had an entire wicking bed and two huge pots full of parsley that we never planted there, lucky it’s so useful!<\/p>\n

  4. \n

    Mint<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

    Good companion<\/a> to cabbages and tomatoes
    \nGreat fresh or dried for herbal tea
    \nSome like it hot, but for those who don’t a     minty raita<\/a> is great on a curry
    \nRobust, can be used as a permaculture lawn or living mulch (but can choke out other plant if not harvested regularly)
    \nQuick spreading by runners, you can just rip a fistful out and replant it<\/p>\n

  5. \n

    Wormwood<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

    Pest and animal deterrent so best utilised on garden borders to stop those pesky pets weeing on the veg!
    \nCan supress weeds because roots secrete growth inhibitors, should keep away from other plants for this reason
    \nChop and drop for paths for above reasons
    \nGrow near     chook pens<\/a> to control external parasites
    \nSends out roots and shoots to multiply<\/p>\n

  6. \n

    Pineapple sage<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

    Our housemate loves to make pineapple sage cupcakes<\/a> from the flowers and leaves
    \nAdds nice fruity taste to     ice teas<\/a> and cocktails
    \nExtremely vigorous if chopped inches from the ground will resprout bushier and fuller (like a beard!)
    \nProvides nectar for native     spinebill<\/a>
    \nUsed for treatment of     anxiety and depression<\/a>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n

    \"apple-trees\"<\/p>\n

    \n
    \"Wormwood
    Wormwood seedling in January<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n
    \"6
    6 months later it is huge!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"elderflower
    elderflower in january<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"elderflower
    elderflower 6 months later<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n
    \n\"warrigal-greens\"<\/p>\n

    \"feverfew-flowers-daisy\"<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

    \n
    \n
      \n
    1. \n

      Warrigal greens<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

      High in antioxidants and fibre. Captain Cook’s crew ate it aboard the Endeavour to prevent scurvy and it was the first Australian edible to be cultivated overseas. Can be used just like spinach.
      \nLike nasturtiums makes a great pesto<\/a> (who needs spinach and basil anyway, the capricious creatures!)
      \nCompletely smothers weeds, so excellent under fruit trees (just be careful to cut it away from other smaller plants so it doesn’t just plow over them)
      \nDisease and pest resistant
      \nSelf-seeds readily and is easily propagated by cutting, just snap it off and shove it in the ground like elderflower and it will just keep on growing.<\/p>\n

    2. \n

      Saltbush<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

      Tough, drought tolerant and longlived<\/a>
      \nCan grow in very poor soils, it has thrived in the dry, compacted edges of the food forest
      \nSeeds can be ground for damper, or the dried leaves used as a       garnish<\/a>
      \nLeaves can be used in salads, blanched to wrap fish or even in       fritters<\/a>
      \nProstrate forms are a vigorous groundcover that are like a carpet so they don’t smother like warrigal greens; shrubs can be shaped to form a low hedge<\/p>\n

    3. \n

      Elderflower<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

      Repels insects and vermin<\/a>
      \nAn excellent hedging plant, often seen in British hedgerows, birds and bees love it.
      \nFlowers make delicious       elderflower cordial<\/a>
      \n      Elderflower fritters<\/a> are also yummy
      \nStrike extremely easily from cuttings, I have cut twigs and just poked them in the ground and they have sprouted!<\/p>\n

    4. \n

      Feverfew<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

      Good companions crop “banker”<\/a> to attract predatory insects which reduce aphids, spider mites, thrips and white fly on nearby plants
      \nSelf-sows easily
      \nChewing the leaves is said to       reduce migraines<\/a>, but as with all medicinal plants it is best left to the experts, pregnant women in particular should avoid self medicating with medicinal herbs
      \nCreates a compact 30cm hedge that is great for delineating borders, pretty daisy flowers
      \nDried sachets can be used to       deter moths<\/a> from clothing
      \n      Yellow dye<\/a> can be made from the leaves and stems\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

      \"saltbus-close-up\"<\/p>\n

      \"ground-covers-food-forest\"<\/p>\n

      \"alpine-wild-strawberry\"<\/p>\n

      \n
      \n
        \n
      1. \n

        Native raspberry<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

        It is high in antioxidants and it studies with mice was shown to prevent damage to the liver.
        \nSimilar taste to commercial raspberries
        \nHardier in this climate than commercial raspberries, can be shawn off at the base whilst in leaf and resprout within weeks (It was accident, but it came back even bushier!)
        \nSelf-fertile, but more success by         layering<\/a> – takes root where canes touch the ground
        \nTolerates full sun to full shade, but more likely to fruit with sun exposure.<\/p>\n

      2. \n

        Rocket<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

        Good companion<\/a> to bush beans, celery, carrots, nasturtium, mint, dill, lettuce, cucumbers, onions, rosemary, potatoes
        \nCover crop, is an effective         biofumigant<\/a> that will overwinter. Before it sets seed chop to the ground and incorporate into soil. Suppresses weeds, fungal pathogens and insects.
        \nMinimises surface compaction with its tap root.
        \nYoung leaves great in         salads<\/a>
        \nSelf-seeds readily <\/p>\n

      3. \n

        Nettles<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

        Good companion<\/a>, increases volatile oils in plants e.g. valerian, mint, sage and rosemary
        \nCompost activator
        \nMakes a         delicious pesto<\/a>, but harvest when leaves are young for best flavour. Great on pizza<\/a> as well as pasta.
        \nWinter         forage for chooks<\/a>, even increases egg production!
        \n        Habitat for butterflies<\/a> and other beneficial insects. <\/p>\n

      4. \n

        Dandelions<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

        Roots are fantastic in stirfries<\/a>.
        \nRoots can also be used as a         coffee substitute<\/a> for those trying to kick the addiction, but love the ritual.
        \nFlowers and young leaves are great in         salads<\/a>
        \n        High in vitamins and nutrients<\/a> especially calcium, iron and vitamin A & C<\/a>.
        \nSpreads readily via their puff ball seeds, grows anywhere.<\/p>\n

      5. \n

        Strawberries<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

        Good companion<\/a> of Borage, Lettuce, Spinach, Sage
        \nGroundcover to         exclude weeds <\/a>(especially wild strawberries) Look lovely on borders as a barrier to grass.
        \nWe had surprising success with strawberries in the food forest wild and standard, they have survived very dry conditions and although those in the driest spots did not fruit as well we still have gotten a constant trickle of fruit this spring, can’t wait until summer! we just ate them straight off the bush.
        \nTry this         strawberry chia seed jam<\/a>
        \nSpreads via         runners<\/a>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

        \"child-food-forest-playground\"<\/p>\n

        \n\"native-raspberry\"\"rocket-flowering\"\"dandelion-plant-leaves\"<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

        \"alpine-strawberry-roquette\"<\/p>\n

        \n
          \n
        1. \n

          Radish<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

          Good companion <\/a>to peas, nasturtium, lettuce, cucumbers, spinach (attracts leaf miner away), chervil (Improves growth & flavour), carrots
          \nGood nurse crop, they grow fast so if you plant them in a circle around a tomato or other slow grower it will protect it from sun, wind, weeds and pest until it is big enough to look after itself. Often sown with carrots and keeps the soil moist.
          \nRadish leaves can be used in           stir-fries<\/a> or salads and are more nutritious than the root.
          \nMy french friend eats baby radishes like an apple, fresh from the garden and then eats its leaves too! That’s a bit too spicy for me so I prefer them           sliced in a salad.<\/a>
          \nIf you choose daikon radishes they are very good at           breaking up compacted soil <\/a>, scavenging nutrients from deep down<\/p>\n

        2. \n

          Clover<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

          Fixes nitrogen<\/a> in the soil
          \nAttracts beneficial insects
          \nGreat ground cover\/green manure in cooler months (dies down in summer)
          \nTry           clover tea<\/a> for multiple health benefits including being anticarcinogenic and relieving PMS
          \nSelf-seeds<\/p>\n

        3. \n

          Borage<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

          Good companion<\/a> to Tomatoes (attract bees, deters tomato worm, improves growth & flavour), squash, strawberries (increases yield)
          \nPretty blue or white           edible flowers<\/a> can add colour to salads and pastas; sugared they can also be used in sweet dishes as cake decoration<\/a> or in drinks<\/a>
          \nBorage leaves make a           tea<\/a> that soothes the stomach and the heart!
          \nLeaves have a cucumber taste commonly used in           soups<\/a>
          \nSelf-seeds like a champion<\/p>\n

        4. \n

          Yarrow<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

          Attracts beneficial insects with its pretty flowers
          \nIncreases           essential oil<\/a> production of herbs
          \nCompost activator
          \nUseful           herb for wounds<\/a> stops bleeding, relieves pain and has antimicrobial properties.
          \nSpreads through seeds and underground rhizomes, once you have it, it’s for life.<\/p>\n

        5. \n

          Calendula<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

          Beneficial insect attracting
          \n          Nematode deterring<\/a> plant, so a good companion for tomatoes
          \nBright orange petals add lovely colour to           salads<\/a> or vegetable stock<\/a>
          \nOil made from the flowers is used in           creams and balms<\/a> to help heal wounds, burns, cracked skin & co
          \nSelf-seeds<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n

          \"clover\"<\/p>\n

          \n\"arrow-flower\"<\/p>\n

          \"picking-radishes\"<\/p>\n

          \"sorrel\"<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

          \"clover-mint-radish-flower\"<\/p>\n

          \n
          \n
            \n
          1. \n

            Sorrel<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

            High in Vitamin & minerals<\/a>, especially A, C & iron
            \nDynamic accumulator – long tap roots             mine for nutrients<\/a> so it is not only good for breaking up compacted soil, but a good cover crop which can be slashed to add nutrients to the top soil
            \nGrows in sun or shade
            \nLeaves add a nice             lemony taste<\/a> to salads or soup<\/a>
            \n            Drought tolerant<\/a>
            \nGrows from seed or by division<\/p>\n

          2. \n

            Cherry Tomatoes<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

            Kids love finding these sweet treats, we just let the plants sprawl.
            \nI’m sure I don’t really need to give you any recipes, but this is a chance to send a shout out to two of my favourite cooking blogs             vegie num num<\/a> and green kitchen stories<\/a>
            \nCherry tomatoes are             hardier and faster to ripen<\/a> than larger varieties
            \nCherry tomatoes require             less heat<\/a>\/sun hours
            \nA surprise favourite in the food forest that seemed to come up of its own accord. We let it go to seed and sure if they sprang up again this spring.<\/p>\n

          3. \n

            Lemon balm<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

            Forms a low hedge<\/a>, so good for borders
            \nCreate a             soothing tea<\/a> from the leaves, considered a mild anti-depressant
            \nCan be used in baking – how about             lemon balm biscuits?<\/a>
            \nFlowers attract beneficial insects
            \nSelf-seeder<\/p>\n

          4. \n

            Basil mint<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

            Strong scent repels cabbage moth so plant near brassicas
            \nDoesn’t quite taste like basil, but has its own delicious flavour that I love adding to             Banh Xeo<\/a>
            \nCan be pruned to form a low hedge for borders
            \nHigh essential oil content
            \nGreat filler, like mint it spreads by runners<\/p>\n

          5. \n

            Marjoram<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n

            This is included in a list of “plants that benefit everything”<\/a> with lemon balm
            \n            Tea<\/a> from leaves good for sorethroats and aids digestion
            \nPretty delicate leaves, flowers attract beneficial insects
            \nIn our garden golden marjoram is far more vigorous than oregano
            \nKeeps             full flavour when dried<\/a>, mmm…tomato marjoram dip<\/a>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

            \"golden-marjoram\"<\/p>\n

            \"lemon-balm\"<\/p>\n

            \n\"harvesting-garlic-chives\"<\/p>\n

            \"sorrel-seed-head\"
            \n<\/section>\n

            \"basil-mint\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Who said the greatest hunger a person has is to be needed? When it comes to gardening I’d consider it the height of success if I’ve designed myself out of the system completely. No watering, no propagating, just eating! After 6 months of neglect: a boiling February, an unseasonably hot autumn and a cheerless winter; […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"25 edibles that survive utter neglect \r\n\r\nPerfect for the busy worker or the beginner gardener. These plants have thrived in our Flemington Community #FoodForest despite being trampled by kids, baked by the sun and worried by dogs.\r\n\r\nGreat to start a new #permaculture #vegetablegarden\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/wp.me\/p4l1F7-3GD","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[10],"tags":[392,323,291,372],"class_list":["post-14175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-garden","tag-featured","tag-food-forest-garden","tag-how-to-guide","tag-melbourne-permaculture-design"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/apricots.jpg?fit=1600%2C1066&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4l1F7-3GD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14175"}],"version-history":[{"count":136,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14175\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14434,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14175\/revisions\/14434"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedesertecho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}