Preface
Part 1: Gardening With Perennial Vegetables
1. New class of food plants
2. Design ideas
3. Selecting species
4. Techniques
Part 2: Species Profiles
Using this book -- Alismataceae: the water-plantain family --
Arrowhead -- Alliaceae: the onion family -- Multiplier onions --
Ramps -- Other perennial alliums -- Amaranthaceae: the amaranth
family -- Sissoo spinach -- Apiaceae: the celery family --
Arracacha -- Article: Lost crops of the Incas -- Lovage -- Water
celery -- Skirret -- Araceae: the aroid family -- Edible aroids
(taro, belembe, tannier) -- Article: Calcium oxalate -- Araliaceae:
the spikenard family -- Udo -- Asteraceae: the aster family --
Chicory and dandelion -- Globe artichoke -- Okinawa spinach --
Sunchoke -- Article: Inulin -- Fuki -- Scorzonera -- Yacon --
Basellaceae: the malabar spinach family -- Malabar spinach --
Ulluco -- Brassicaceae: the cabbage family -- Perennial brassicas
(cabbage, kale, and broccoli) -- Article: Pests and diseases of the
brassica family -- Turkish rocket -- Sea kale -- Sylvetta arugula
-- Watercress -- Cactaceae: the cactus family -- Nopale cactus --
Cannaceae: the canna family -- Achira -- Caricaceae: the papaya
family -- Papaya -- Chenopodiaceae: the goosefoot family --
Saltbush -- Article: Oxalic acid -- Sea beet -- Good King Henry --
Convolvulaceae: the morning glory family -- Water spinach -- Sweet
potato -- Cucurbitaceae: the squash family -- Perennial cucumber --
Malabar gourd -- Bitter melon -- Chayote -- Article: Extending the
range of chayote and other day-length-sensitive plants --
Cyperaceae: the sedge family -- Chufa -- Water chestnut --
Dioscoreaceae: the yam family -- Air potato -- Article: Air potato:
an ecological conundrum? -- Yams -- Dryopteridiaceae: the wood-fern
family -- Ostrich fern -- Euphorbiaceae: the spurge family -- Chaya
-- Bull nettles -- Cassava -- Katuk -- Fabaceae: the pea family --
Groundnut -- Basul -- Hyacinth bean -- Water mimosa -- Perennial
beans -- Winged bean -- Lamiaceae: the mint family -- Chinese
artichoke -- Liliaceae: the lily family -- Asparagus -- Yellow
asphodel -- Camass -- Daylily -- Giant Solomon's seal -- Malvaceae:
the mallow family -- Edible hibiscus -- Cranberry hibiscus -- Musk
mallow -- Meliaceae: the neem family -- Fragrant spring tree --
Moraceae: the mulberry family -- Breadfruit -- Moringaceae: the
moringa family -- Moringa -- Musaceae: the banana family --
Plantain and green banana -- Nelumbonaceae: the lotus family --
Water lotus -- Oxalidaceae: the wood-sorrel family -- Oca --
Phytolaccaceae: the pokeweed family -- Pokeweed -- Haitian basket
vine -- Poaceae: the grass family -- Clumping bamboos -- Running
bamboos -- Article: Rhizome barriers for aggressive running bamboos
-- Pitpit -- Polygonaceae: the smartweed family -- Rhubarb --
Sorrel -- Solanaceae: the nightshade family -- Wolfberry -- Ground
cherry and goldenberry -- Pepino dulce -- Peppers, tomatoes,
eggplants, and potatoes -- Article: Pests and diseases of the
nightshade family -- Tetragoniaceae: the New Zealand spinach family
-- New Zealand spinach -- Tiliaceae: the linden family -- Linden --
Tropaeolaceae: the nasturtium family -- Mashua -- Urticaceae: the
nettle family -- Stinging nettle and wood nettle
Part 3: Resources
Perennial vegetables for each climate type
Recommended reading
Helpful organizations and Web sites
Sources of plants and seeds
Sources of gardening supplies and materials
Bibliography
Index
Eric Toensmeier calls himself a "socially engaged plant geek". He has spent much of his adult life exploring edible and otherwise useful plants and how they can be used in designed ecosystems. He is the co-author of Edible Forest Gardens.
Booklist-
Part of the allure of perennial gardening is the fact that a
gardener can plant something once and enjoy it for several years, a
benefit that has rarely been extended to vegetable gardeners. Save
for such stalwarts as asparagus and rhubarb, most edible crops can
be used only annually. Thanks to Toensmeier, gardeners need no
longer be frustrated by such limitations. From air potatoes to
water celery, Turkish rocket to Malabar gourd, there are more than
100 new species of edible plants. After addressing such cultural
basics as site selection and preparation, Toensmeier explains why
each plant is an excellent perennial vegetable crop. Now that such
items are making their way onto trendy restaurant menus and
health-store shelves, Toensmeier's groundbreaking guide is destined
to become the bible for this new class of edible gardening.
*Carol Haggas*
"This book is itself a perennial polyculture of multipurpose
plants. Toensmeier's adventurous yet sober palate blends with his
observant eye and plant-geek mind to yield a varied harvest that
should produce for years to come. He is an enthusiastic and
knowledgeable guide for explorations of this largely unmapped
territory. Let's hope gardeners everywhere follow his lead and join
the fun!"--Dave Jacke, coauthor Edible Forest Gardens
"That there are more perennial vegetables than asparagus is no
surprise, but that there are more than 100 species we North
American gardeners can choose from is news. Toensmeier's Perennial
Vegetables, the first comprehensive guide to growing them, will
have all of us reexamining our plans for next year's vegetable
plot." --Karan Davis Cutler, author of Burpee—The Complete Flower
Garden
"Eric Toensmeier has comprehensively filled a huge gap in the
sustainable landscape. Perennial Vegetables lets you put away your
tiller, and covers everything you need to grow, harvest, and eat
vegetables and greens that will keep coming back year after
year."--Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia's Garden
"Toensmeier's knowledge of edible plants is impressive and
inspiring. His excitement for a sustainable landscape helps us
focus away from buying food to harvesting it naturally. Perennial
Vegetables offers an excellent range of edible plants for long-term
cultivation and enjoyment."--Ellen Ecker Ogden,co-founder of The
Cook's Garden seed catalog, author of From the Cook's Garden
"Growing perennial vegetables is a true pleasure. This fine book
gives the knowledge to successfully add variety to both the garden
and the table while also enhancing the home environment."--Miranda
Smith, author of The Plant Propagator's Bible and Complete Home
Gardening
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