Benjamin Abby

Cristo, I'm so sorry you lost your cat.  I've lost a few dogs and I'm sometimes bothered to think of saying goodbye to my current sweetheart.  I have to walk her so she can't get into anything I don't want her to but thank you so much for the warning.

I'll look into the Canadian ginger; the roses are out for now but maybe later as a section filler (probably along the road front).  The cardoon is awesome looking.  I'll admit I'm a fan of some of the thistles (bull I think with the purple deathtops).  My great uncle wasn't too happy that I let it go and now they are here and there to say the least.  
I have seeds for the globe artichoke and lovage which I tried to grow last year but it didn't take.  
I grow a few annuals like dill, borage, sunflowers, red amaranth (people love how it looks) and I has nasturtium seeds (and less ornamental ones too like sorghum and so on).

Thanks Dian; I was literally about to go plant my sage and was wondering where to put it so it is going a little closer to the front now.  I have lavender and bee balm.  I never knew that about oregano and a hardy perennial in my zone and those are beautiful flowers, great suggestion.  I have too many fennel already (I got the full package so it has a bulb, seeds, and greens) but I'll put that down on my list as a possible future plant (can you ever really have too many useful, beautiful plants lol).  Have you ever grown the Roman Chamomile as a ground cover?  Just wondering if it did well and if you had to weed a lot- I refuse to become a slave to weeding lol.  Sweet woodruff- "Full shade", is that your experience?  That would be awesome but I learnt to take the internet's word a bit below people with personal experience.  I noticed Yarrow has a LOT of colors.  Do you grow many different colors and do you eat them all?  I'll research if no one has an answer to hopefully find something out.  But awesome suggestions!  I guess I just grouped things into food, herbs then flowers and never even thought oregano or sage would also have attractive features.  It blows my mind, why don't people grow these things instead or along with but whatever?

The hope is to use flowers to get people into permaculture a bit more.  Why put out a flower garden and not get some free food at the same time?  I've heard some of them taste amazing such as a fruity taste.  Anyone know of a vanilla or sugar tasting flower lol.  

Wow, Anne, those look amazing.  Those might be too pretty, it'd be hard to eat them lol.  

I grow passion flower, chives, sunflowers, hostas, borage, roses, lavender, and mallows.  I'm growing about 5 different perennial onions and I loved the Egyptian walking onion blooms.  Hope the pictures didn't over glorify them lol.

I'm getting into the herbs more this year.  Creeping thyme, thyme, sage, mint and so on- all are at least biennials (mostly perennials) that have a chance to be here for a long time in my region.  

I never heard of the siberian purslane but I had to look it up and that is a big winner to me.  I'll try to find some seeds.  I swear that no matter how much I look into these things there is always something awesome I missed somehow.  

I hope to get camas, dog tooth lilies, and I have prairie turnips due to utility and looks too.  

All the cold tender ones are out (lazy gardening) but I really like the tiger lilies, breadseed poppies, calendulas.  The King's Spear is perfect for me.  I've been checking out the nasturtiums and one said they were a great companion (especially for brassicas and I have kale everywhere) so it seems like a match made in heaven.  Colombine had some controversy with edibility so I might leave that alone and maybe the Solomon's Seal but I love shade plants so I'll have to research that one more to finalize a decision.  

Thank you for the suggestions.

This has been much more frustrating research than I expected and I tend to trust people's info on here more than most of the internet.  

I'm looking to make an edible flower garden in my front yard, preferably perennial (zone 6b/7a) and low maintenance.  Taste isn't a concern since everyone is different but a warning is fine so I might plant them separately and decide if I can handle it or not.  I have yellow and ditch lilies to start and I like that almost all of it is edible.  But will ditch lilies just overrun all flowers or can some be companions?  Or maybe I should just keep my flower gardens individualized with daylilies here, tulips there and so on.  I wanted a daylily garden but it seems there is a lot of controversy if some are edible or not- besides the orange one and Green Dean wrote "The only other daylily that has become naturalized somewhat in North American is Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus (lil-ee-oh-as-foh-DEL-us) which is the yellow version, similar in appearance and wrongly called H. Flava. The Michigan State University Department of Horticulture says H. Iilioasphodelus is edible. Blame them not me if it is not" (https://www.eattheweeds.com/daylily-just-cloning-around-2/#google_vignette).  Due to all this I'd prefer things that you all eat.  I know tulips were ate during WWII and apparently have double the calories of potatoes but they don't really spread so I'd be afraid the ditch lilies would overrun them.  And with so many varieties I look up to check if ALL or 'what varieties' are edible but it's hard to find concrete knowledge.  I have enough room to plant many flower gardens so if you have an edible combination that is just flowers or leaves or underground only or whatever, I'm interested.  

Thank you so much for the offer, Nancy.  I have seeds from good sources so I'll try them this year so please keep yours.  Now, if these don't work I may send you a different message next year if you don't mind, lol.  I've researched and others suggest a similar thing about the woody cores being connected to lack of water.  But as everyone knows the internet can be contradictory and wrong so hearing it from your personal experience will make me water more if they germinate.  And that is especially true if you use your seeds so if I can get them to grow I'll post about the experience.  I mostly grow drought tolerant, apocalyptic-ish surviving plants so I don't have to do much because of time constraints.  Thanks again for the offer and reply!

I have searched and I can't find them from the locations I trust so does anyone know where to buy some skirret tubers from?  I'd prefer a good variety so that makes it even harder to find.  I have seeds but can't seem to get them to grow but I'd also prefer my first plant to have the good traits (no woody core, sweeter, bigger tubers, etc).  And then to use clones until I have a good population to eat off of and then try seeds for breeding attempts.

Barbara, I wished I had you to fix my yard up or to talk about it at least.  Mine is currently a massive work project trying to convert the front yard into a Garden of Eden-ish beauty whlle remaining edible.  But that is a great method because I have noticed that I sell more people due to the looks of certain perennials that also produce.  I have many flower people take a sunchoke after seeing them (I warn them about the spread).  Many also took edibles like Red garnet amaranth, scarlet runner beans.  I'm trying to grow many multi-use pretty perennials- daylilies, hostas, seakale and giant colewort (I've heard egyptian walking onions are pretty).  I want spring ephemerals like trout lilies but have had a hard time sourcing them from a site I trust.  Creeping thyme sounds nice and the little slope near the road.  

The other permaculture victories usually came by making meals with the foods and talking about the health benefits (low calorie generally) and replacements such as zucchini VS pasta and so on.  Some have actually liked the flavor plain such as wall rocket (arugula), garden sorrel, alliums in general.  A 7th grader family member wanted sunchokes for his yard but his dad was pretty negative about it- he was probably right, IDK if he'd want to dig them up and clean them to makes meals (he really loves the sunchoke bread).  

I agree with everyone about dividing them so maybe this adds nothing to the conversation but if you are really wanting to multiply them the fastest then divide them even more than 3 or 4 times.  Cultivariable says he sees no difference in growth from those he cuts into two inch pieces so that might be best for output but not the fastest rate of multiplying- I can't say yield is better scientifically but mine was fine this year despite digging them up the first year and cutting all the knobs off of big pieces (an inch or less often times).  From my experience you can cut them up even smaller to get more.  In fact, I threw a bunch of very small pieces (most a 1/4th of an inch or so) I had cut for cooking and tossed them into a pot for compost and they are now growing which surprised me a bit.  One big tuber could give me ten or more new plants.  I went from 40ish originally and ended up planting about 500 that year plus eating it for personal and family meals a bit.  I had so many this year I planted with the biggest tuber available to see if that changed output and if I did cut I never cut smaller than 2 inches.  I had one mega tuber I probably could've cut into 25 or more individual plants if I really wanted to.  Nature is truly amazing, such a shame this isn't taught to little kids.  

Updated Post: I'm still exploring and experimenting but here is what I've personally found for Zone 6B/7A (my location has both zones in the same county).  I'm putting numbers but no particular order.   Hopefully, I'll be able to continue experimenting and maybe this entire list will be changed or at least adjusted by next year.   If I put it in order it'd be a complicated mess.  My top three (without overthinking it) would probably be sunchokes first, sweet potatoes second then potatoes but sorghum might be replacing potatoes (if I get a perennialized version then it would).  
                            1. Sunchokes
High calories (close to potatoes after inulin conversion); I ate a few in September (Stampede) but in my location I can gorge in most Decembers, I'll usually be able to dig them up a week or two in January and Februaries are usually cold but I ate them a lot in this year's mild winter.  So I amazed some old timey farmers by digging up food in the middle of February and won some approval for it.  Perennial, spreads on its own, technically edible flowers and leaves (I soak them in water for a tea).
                            2. Sorghum
You can get a sweetener but I grow dual ones which focus more on the grain.  They grew great in clay and can do great with little water so drought tolerant (a common theme for me).   Very productive and easy to grow and some have perennial possibilities which I'm trying to grow (EFN's M61 survivor).  Grain is insanely easy to harvest.
                            3. Sunflowers
Another crop I've had stored and have ate on all winter.
                           4. Mint
medicinal, 'invasive', I'm trying to grow them with sunchokes.  can deal with part shade (2+ hours I've read) and full sun.  Nice smell so I want to use them for baths and other things.
                            5. Amaranth (red)
Another grain that grew so easily and abundant for me.  Trying to overwinter but who knows.  Edible leaves that  some say can replace spinach.  I have gallons of this grain left over so I'll be broadcasting them.  Very pretty.
                           6. Perennial onions
I love onions and are growing many different kinds in hopes of seeing which do best.  I'm really looking forward to egyptian walking onions but nodding onions are perennial too.  I love the biennial onions and grow them also.
                           7. Garlic
One of my favorite food and this was my first year growing and they are doing great.  The leaves are tasty.
                            8. Potato
I still have some stored over winter and have replanted some.  
                            9. Sweet potato
A lot left over.  One got as big as my head, no joke.  Couldn't even fit it in the pressure cooker without chopping it up some.  I ate so many greens which is one of the best- not due to taste but due to the lack of taste even in mature plants.  Have many medicinal compounds in them and helps prevent cancer.  Due to having many diagnosed with cancer I started telling people about eating these greens.  3 have died since the Fall.
                             10. Stevia
sugar replacement to a point.  If my zone was higher then this would be a top plant due to perennial nature.  I'm going to try and overwinter some this year.  
                              11. Watermelon
Personal favorite.  I used them to replace water during some of the summer- especially when you can get the jumbo ones for $2.50-3, like around July 4th and other times.  I'd buy 5 or 6.  Trying to grow a lot this year.
                              12. Zucchini/Squash
The famous three sisters.  Corn would be on my list but something always messes with it.  I guess this is cheating but zucchini can basically feeds a family bulkwise (low calories which depressed me early in my growing days)- edible leaves and flowers.  I let them go and they can last all winter too and I eat or plant the seeds the next year.  I grow winter squash such as pumpkins.
                               13. Raspberries
I have wild black raspberries which are some of the healthiest berries in the world and they spread and take over just like my wild blackberries like to do.  Edible leaves.  
                                14. Dock
I have to include this one.  very healthy and abundant.  Greens grow all year or come back quick after a bad frost.  Edible root.  Seeds that can just be left on the plant all winter to be picked any time.  If I could find exact details on the plant's nutrition and calories (seeds and roots especially) then I'd really tout this up if it had a good calorie count.  I just eat the chaff or grind it all down together.  
                               15. Fruit
Cheating again but it is really about what grows for you.  I have apples that do great and pears but all my other ones are too young to produce anything.  
                             16. nuts (black walnuts)
These would be very high if they weren't such a pain to break for so little.  Still, one noted that a few squirrels would strip a mature one.  I don't know, perhaps so; I know that I have four mature walnuts (and countless half and baby ones) but they barely put a dent into the walnuts.  They literally cover the ground so walking is dangerous- I've twisted ankles.  But that includes other trees around the locations and IDK how many they eat of this or that from this area.


                            PLANTS I HAVEN'T GROWN
These are plants I want to give credit but can't yet due to lack of personal knowledge.
SKIRRET- sweet root; I can't grow them from seeds worth a crap.  I've read a few say you can dig them up ANY TIME of year to eat on so that is one plus for me.  The leaves are edible and I've heard the flowers were but I'd have to recheck that.  If anybody knows where I can source a good variety's tuber then PLEASE LET ME KNOW!  I don't have an explanation but I feel I must grow this plant.  Maybe I'm hoodwinked by the German name "Sugar Root" but I'd just like a perennial carrot/parsnip.
HORSERADISH: I love strong flavor but I've had things made from it and not made them myself.  Spreads (invasive so that's can be perfect or horrible and I guess I'll find out this year I hope).
Perennial BEANS: I grew scarlet runners but IDK if they overwintered here or not yet.  But there are others I'm trying.  One person, Oikos I think, talked about Hopniss and how great it'd be to have a superior breed just for producing beans and I agree.  
GROUND CHERRIES: taste like fruit; some are perennials.  Reseed themselves.  Easy to know when ripe as they fall down.
HABLITZIA:
Tree Kale/perennial kale: I tossed a bunch of kale seeds into a pit and I've ate greens all winter due to them and other brassicas so major credit to those tougher plants for my zone.  But it'd be nice to not have to replant and to have bigger plants and less aphids in fall would be nice.  I'm trying EFN's kale grex and the seedlings are doing great.  Even lived through their first frost without protection.  
HAZELNUT: I've heard great things but my two trees are still coming along so I can't say.

Yes, you can!  The inulin can be converted to digestible sugars through a few pathways such as boiling, soaking in something acid like lemon juice or vinegar (pickling), or freezing (you can toss them in the freezer but I just let our frosts take care of that).  After that the calories are closer to those produced by potatoes.  

How do I know?  I grew a lot and ate a lot this winter.  Usually we have a cold January and very cold February so I loaded up heavily during December.  By that I mean my main food in most of my meals were usually sunchokes.  I fixed them up in many, many ways (soup, bread, pizza crust and toppings, sunchoke taco with the sunchoke shells, crackers, toppings, fried like hash browns, fries, hash brown casserole,  fruit salad after they were cooked a bit, ate them raw but I ate a huge bowl early on in the year and got cleaned out but your body adapts to the inulin over time but I'll start small next year and work up lol).  What happened is that I gained ten pounds going from a very active 140 to 150 male!  

Our January and February was mild this year and I had greens (brassicas, dock, etc) all year but I had stored a lot of sorghum, amaranth, sweet potatoes and potatoes and decided to stop digging sunchokes as much during those months.   I plan on canning some but not enough for the year.