By Kathryn Pankowski

I’ve just had the misfortune of reading an exceptionally perky gardening article. I’m sure you know the sort: it seemed to suggest that, after sprinkling a few seeds in a pot, you could then sit back with a cool drink and await the abundance of food that would shortly pour itself into your lap. I’m surprised they didn’t claim that it would cook itself too.

But it got me thinking. What are the easiest edible plants to grow? What if you only have a windowsill or small balcony, limited time, and perhaps a few doubts about the greenness of your thumb? And the answer I came up with was “perennial herbs”. So, this month, three perennial herbs for those lucky enough to have a sunny spot. (We’ll talk about herbs for shade another time.)

These plants are tough as nails. They can add flavour to your cooking all year round. Plant them once and, since they are perennials, they should live for at least 5 years with minimal care. Grow them individually in pots, mix them in with ornamentals or other food plants in planters, or put them in the ground if you are lucky enough to have some.

What’s the catch? They must have sun, and the more, the better. And they must have good drainage. Sitting it water is more likely to kill them than anything else. 

Chives

It’s probably possible to kill a clump of chives, but I’ve never yet met a person who has. They must be the ultimate bulletproof plant. They’ll give you green leaves with a lovely mild oniony flavour from March to November if grown outside or all year if grown inside. They don’t cook well, but snip them raw into salads, sandwich fillings, on top of soups and stews as you serve them and add them to egg dishes at the last minute. They’ll also give you two flushes of handsome flowers each year in early summer and fall and – bonus points! – the flowers are edible too. Break them apart into florets and sprinkle on salads; it’s rather like throwing confetti. 

Oregano

Another toughy. The reference books say that oregano is a hardy perennial that dies back during the coldest months, but in our increasingly mild winters my outside plant produces usable leaves all year. Add tender young leaves to salads or use the leaves to flavour soups, stews, sauces, and pizzas. The plants erupt into a handsome froth of white or rosy flowers in early summer and, if you leave the stems standing, make interesting lacy seed heads in autumn. For dried oregano, cut the first flush of spring growth, before the plants flower, dry the sprigs upside down in an airy spot, strip off the leaves, and save them to flavour winter stews. 

Winter Savory

This is actually a small shrub, with a woody stem – what is technically called a sub-shrub. In our climate it will stay evergreen all year, and bear small white flowers in late summer. The strongly flavoured leaves can be harvested any time, and are usually used in cooked dishes, traditionally in stews and soups made with dried beans and other legumes, but also to flavour roast meats and meat-based stews.

It worked! Natasha van Bentum’s great windowsill crop of pea shoots, grown from the directions in the January’s Beacon.

So there you have it: three plants that will provide for years with almost no work on your part. If you plant them in the ground, all they need is a bit of supplementary water in times of serious drought. If you plant them inside, water when the soil becomes dry and feed them sparingly with an organic fertilizer from spring through autumn.  Remember:  lots of sun and good drainage.

And of course, follow the first rule of growing food: grow what you like to eat. If you hate oniony things or loathe oregano, try some of the other tough sun-loving perennials instead: sage, garlic chives (which like a bit more water), or rosemary (which does better outside than in).

Neighbourhood Gardening News

Want to take up beekeeping? Brian Scullion, aka The James Bay Beekeeper, is giving an introductory beekeeping course this April. Sixteen hours of classroom instruction in James Bay on Monday and Wednesday evenings, plus a field day, all for $185. You can pick up more information and an application form at Niagara Grocery. 

The former Michigan Street allotment gardens will be moving into their new home on Niagara Street, south of Macdonald Park, this spring. See MaryLynne Rimer’s article in this issue about how you can support the Garden of All Sorts (great new name!) and how to apply for a plot. Or just wander by and watch it grow. 

Are you looking for gardening space in James Bay? There’s a plot on private land available to the right gardener. It’s one of two 10x12 plots in a sunny, fenced back yard, and was dug over last year. If interested, contact Mark at hellmans@telus.net. 

Does your apartment or condo have gardening space for residents to use?  If so, I’d like to hear about it. We’re compiling a list of multi-unit buildings where the residents garden in a shared space or have individual allotments, in the hopes that they can serve as a resource for others wanting to do the same thing. If you know of any examples in James Bay, please email me at jamesbaygardens@gmail.com. Thanks! 

Kathryn Pankowski is the James Bay Neighbourhood Association Neighbourhood Gardening Advocate. The JBNA would like to acknowledge the financial support of the City of Victoria for this initiative.