Skip to main content

The low-maintenance vegetable garden: 5 unique perennial vegetable plants that produce year after year

Amazing perennial veggies to plant in your vegetable garden

Person holding produce in a bowl over a vegetable garden

If you’re looking to plant a vegetable garden that’s low maintenance and sustainable, incorporating perennial vegetable plants is a great idea. Many of them are packed with nutrients and can offer visual interest and other benefits to your garden. Let’s explore the upside of growing perennial vs. annual vegetables, discuss which ones to plant, and the delicious recipes you can make with each of them.

Benefits of perennial vs. annual vegetable plants

Perennial vegetable plants are plants that live for more than two growing seasons and continue to produce edible parts year after year. There are a ton of benefits when it comes to perennial vs. annual vegetable gardens:

  1. Low maintenance: Perennial vegetable plants don’t need to be replanted every year. This saves time, effort, and money in the long run.
  2. Sustainability: These plants are more sustainable because they require less water, fertilizer, and other resources over their lifetime. They also help to build healthy soil and reduce erosion.
  3. Longevity: Perennials can live for many years, which means you can enjoy a consistent harvest without the need for replanting. This also reduces the risk of crop failure due to weather or other environmental factors.
  4. Nutritional value: Did you know that perennials often have higher levels of nutrients and minerals than their annual counterparts? This is because they have more time to establish strong roots and absorb nutrients from the soil.
  5. Multifunctional: Want more diversity in your garden? Perennials come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and you can use them in a range of recipes. They also serve multiple purposes in your garden, as they can improve your soil, keep pests at bay, and even provide hedging in some cases.

Overall, perennial vegetable plants offer several benefits over annual vegetable plants, making them a great choice for a sustainable, low-maintenance garden.

A basket of fresh asparagus

5 perennial vegetables your garden needs

So, which perennial veggies should you start with in your garden? We’ve got five amazing options, and we’ll also discuss which delicious recipes you can make with them.

Asparagus

Asparagus is a nutrient-rich perennial vegetable that produces a harvest year after year with low maintenance. It usually takes around two to three years before you can harvest this veggie, as it needs time to establish strong roots before it can produce a good harvest. But once it gets going, you’ll have a delicious side dish for your steak or a nutritious addition to your fresco pasta.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb also takes a couple of growing seasons to be ready for harvest, but it’s packed with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s also a versatile ingredient that’s great in deserts, such as rhubarb pie, and can be used to make jams, jellies, and even glazes for savory meat dishes.

Artichokes

Great in dips, pasta, pizza, and even as a tasty side dish, artichokes are extremely versatile. Growing them is simple, and they’re a great addition to your vegetable garden. Artichokes are great companion plants, they’re drought tolerant, and they have a unique, ornamental appearance.

Horseradish

With its unique, spicy flavor, horseradish can up your culinary game in sauces, dips, and even homemade condiments. Growing this perennial root vegetable is simple, and it even serves as a pest deterrent in your garden.

Berry bushes

What’s not to love about fresh, homegrown berries? Eat them raw, add them to your waffles or oatmeal, or make sweet homemade jams. Berry bushes are low maintenance, provide the benefit of hedging your garden, and some varieties even deter pests.

Incorporating perennial vegetables into your garden can offer a wide range of benefits. They require less maintenance, are more sustainable, and can give you a reliable source of food year after year. By planting perennial vegetables, you can create a sustainable and enjoyable garden that provides beauty and nutrition — without all the work.

Editors' Recommendations

Veronica Sparks
Veronica Sparks is a writer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who loves writing about gardening, home décor, and DIY life. She’s…
Use these tips to start a successful indoor vegetable garden this winter
Want to grow veggies indoors? Here's how to do it in winter
A container gardening display

Come fall when the growing season ends, a lot of gardeners will spend the winter prepping and thinking about what they want to grow next spring — all the while lamenting how they miss having fresh veggies and herbs around during the colder months. That doesn't have to be the case, though. You can easily grow some of your favorite veggies indoors, even without a greenhouse.

Although you can't grow everything, and the indoor harvests are often smaller, you’ll be able to have enough that you can still enjoy the feeling of preparing and eating something you grew. What's more, you can even use these tips and tricks to grow fresh veggies year-round if you don't have the outdoor space for a traditional garden!

Read more
The best vegetables to plant in October
Tips for selecting autumn plants and caring for them
Best October vegetables

Autumn is typically a season associated with harvesting. Rich cornucopias full of bounteous food and comforting dishes. However, this transitional time of year is also a great time to plant some of your favorite vegetables. If you're new to gardening, you may not realize there are different planting and sowing periods all throughout the year. Fruit, flowers, herbs, and vegetables all have optimal times to both reap and sow.

Fall weather brings unique challenges and advisories. Here are some key factors to consider as you plant your crops, select seeds, and care for each plant properly. Keep reading to find out what the best vegetable to plant in October are.

Read more
6 plants you should cut back to keep your garden thriving this fall
To cut or not to cut? Here's are the plants to trim in the fall
A sage plant with purple flowers

Fresh spring growth is a welcome sight in any garden, but it all starts with getting ready at the end of fall and the start of winter. If you’re researching ways to promote that growth, you may have heard of cutting back plants. Cutting back plants is an easy and effective gardening technique once you understand the basics. This form of pruning might sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be.

Below, we’ll answer all your questions about cutting back your fall plants, including how to do it, which fall plants you should cut back, and which plants you shouldn’t.

Read more