Cultivating a garden filled with perennial vegetables, fruits, herbs, and even nuts, is the way to go for those who do not want to replant their garden year after year. Perennials have the highest chance of returning each growing season (so long as you dont live in a harsh climate). Before you get into the weeds of how to start a vegetable garden, get familiar with the most common types of plants to grow.
Below, see a list of common perennial vegetables, fruits, herbs, and nuts, and learn the pros and cons of a perennial garden.
A vegetable garden is a great place to grow perennial flowers. Not only do they add beauty, but perennials also attract pollinators, deter pests, and improve soil health. Unlike annuals, perennials come back year after year, providing continuous benefits with less maintenance.
If you’re looking to incorporate perennials into your edible landscape. here are 12 excellent choices to try
1. Lavender
Fragrant lavender repels rabbits deer moths, mosquitos and more. Its blooms also attract pollinators while offering culinary and medicinal uses. Grow lavender in full sun and well-drained soil. It’s a great companion for lettuce, brassicas, onions, tomatoes and squash.
2. Echinacea
With its bold blooms, echinacea attracts butterflies and bees It has natural medicinal uses and is deer resistant Plant echinacea in full sun to part shade.
3. Yarrow
Tough, fuss-free yarrow deters aphids, flies and slugs. Its flowers attract ladybugs, wasps and lacewings. Yarrow thrives in full sun and dry conditions.
4. Mint
Mint spreads nicely to cover ground while its scent repels aphids, squash bugs, beetles and more. Its edible leaves offer versatility too. Mint likes partial shade and moist soil.
5. Chives
Chives serve double duty, repelling pests while producing edible leaves and flowers. Grow them in full sun and well-drained soil.
6. Lemon Balm
Delicious lemon balm has culinary and medicinal uses. It deters insects and needs full sun to partial shade. Prune often to prevent spreading.
7. Sage
This culinary herb repels cabbage moths, carrot flies and more. Its edible leaves pair well with many dishes. Sage likes full sun and dry conditions.
8. Thyme
Thyme drives away loopers and whiteflies. It prefers full sun and dry soil. Its leaves add flavor to recipes.
9. Marigolds
Marigolds repel nematodes, squash bugs, beetles and other pests. French marigolds release nematode killing chemicals too. They love full sun.
10. Nasturtiums
These cheery edible flowers deter squash bugs, aphids, beetles and more. Plant them in full sun to partial shade. Their trailing habit looks great spilling from containers.
11. Asters
With late season blooms, asters provide color into fall. They attract pollinators and grow in full sun to partial shade. Deadhead spent flowers for more blooms.
12. Daylilies
Daylilies bloom vigorously from spring through late summer. Their large, colorful flowers draw hummingbirds and pollinators. They are also deer resistant and low maintenance.
When planting perennials in your vegetable garden, place taller ones towards the back so they don’t shade lower crops. Use spreading perennials like mint in containers to restrict growth. Interplant early bloomers like asters with late harvested crops. Herbs can be planted near compatible veggies to boost flavors.
Perennial flowers add lasting beauty and ecological benefits to the vegetable garden. Once established, they provide a stable framework in the edible landscape for years to come.
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Perennial Fruits
These perennial fruits make great garden additions, just remember that your first years harvest will be your smallest and they will increase in size over time.
- Apples
- Apricots
- Avocado
- Blackberries
- Cherries
- Currants
- Dates
- Fig
- Goji berries
- Huckleberries
- Grapes
- Kiwi
- Lemons (Must be brought indoors in the winter in colder climates.)
- Limes
- Nectarines
- Olives
- Oranges (Must be brought indoors in the winter in colder climates.)
- Peaches
- Pears
- Persimmon
- Plums
- Raspberries
- Strawberries (Replant every three years.)
Perennial Nuts
Different nut trees have different harvest windows, many even taking up to three or five years to produce.
- Almond
- Chestnut
- Hazelnut
- Macadamia
- Pecan
- Pistachio
- Walnut
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20 Edible Perennials You’ll Plant Once & Harvest Forever!
FAQ
What flowers are good in a veggie garden?
Marigolds, nasturtium, sweet peas, catnip, astras, zinnias, daisies, chamomile, tulips.
What perennial flowers grow in raised garden beds?
Grow your perennial flowers in perennial beds around your raised-bed kitchen garden. Some of my favorite perennials are echinacea, bee balm, rudbeckia (AKA black-eyed Susans), anise hyssop, and salvias.
Are any garden vegetables perennials?
Many root vegetables are perennials. Popular ones are sunchokes, Egyptian walking onion, and Chinese artichoke. How do you ensure your perennials thrive and keep growing back? A big part of ensuring your perennials thrive happens before they’re even in the ground.
What flowers not to plant with vegetables?