Un-Chocolate Vine

Un-Chocolate Vine

I have two Akebia (Akebia Quinata) in my garden, one on either side of the gate to the back. It’s a lovely vine (although I have no idea why it’s called “chocolate” as it neither smells nor tastes like cocoa.) Drought tolerant, it’s hardy from 

Ruby Rhubarb

Ruby Rhubarb

My rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) have begun to come out and that means I’m dreaming of delicious recipes to use with it. There’s a delightful farm a little further out east, on the north fork of Long Island that makes the most amazing rhubarb scones. Tangy, 

Chivalrous Onion Chives

Chivalrous Onion Chives

Once my onion chives are out, I know spring is right around the corner. A wonderful substitute for scallions, onion chives are a staple in my kitchen. They’re often the first to appear after winter, and the last to leave after fall. Allium schoenoprasum, common 

Wilder Saffron

Wilder Saffron

One of the plants I was super excited to get my hands on this year was Crocus Cartwrightianus, otherwise known as Cartwright’s crocus or wild saffron. It’s widely accepted as the wild ancestor of our modern saffron, before it mutated into the sterile triploid form 

Surprising Saffron

Surprising Saffron

One of the most interesting things I have in my garden, one that is always a conversation starter is saffron (Crocus sativus). A species of autumn blooming crocus. The same extraordinarily expensive spice is also quite easy to grow here in NY, its prohibitive cost 

Sunny Sunchokes

Sunny Sunchokes

Sunchokes (Helianthus tuberosus), also called Jerusalem Artichokes, are one of those love-it-hate-it type of plants. However, it is one of the only starch sources perennial in all zones. The reason it gets a bad rap is the same reason it’s so hardy–it get invasive, fast. 

Wise Sage

Wise Sage

Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a wonderful culinary herb, especially as the weather gets colder and roasts and savory dishes become more frequent. It’s a hardy perennial down to zone 5, so it’s a plant it and forget it sort of herb. It’s also not invasive, 

Dandy Dandelion

Dandy Dandelion

Ah, dandelions (Taraxacum officionale), the bane of America’s sterile and homogenous grass lawns. It’s a pity people dislike it so much because it really is a wonderful plant, and in many parts of the world like Italy, it’s a common vegetable green. High in fiber 

Rosie Rosemary

Rosie Rosemary

A lot of sources will tell you that Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is only reliably perennial from zone 9 upwards, zone 8 pushing it, and zone 7 should be wintered indoors. This is where a location’s microclimate as well as choosing cold hardy varieties come into 

Mitsuba Parsley

Mitsuba Parsley

Italian parsley is grown as an annual/biennial culinary, which means that it usually dies in its second year after it sets seed. That doesn’t make it suitable for my particular application of a perennial food forest so sometimes I decline to grow it, even though