In Praise of Perennial Veg (and herbs)

As we plummet swiftly into the ‘Hungry Gap’- the period of time usually between April and June when the last of the winter crops are dwindling and the summer crops are yet to bear fruit- I wonder why we don’t grow more perennial vegetables. Don’t get me wrong- annual veg is great too and I am up there with the first to lay out all my seed packets in January and wait impatiently for the first moment to get sowing, but what about now? This awkward interim? Today I picked Taunton Deane perennial kale, Tree and Welsh onions and Caucasian Spinach- all there ready to harvest, and have been for some time. I nibbled Sweet Cicely, Pink Purslane, Mallow leaves and Sorrel. The perennial garden is alive! This is their time! Imagine if everyone had one or two perennial vegetables in their garden- as well as the usual suspects of rhubarb and asparagus- how much more abundant our plots would be! What perennial veg are you growing? What are some of your faves?