Perennials & Other Incredible Vegetables For Small Gardens
The First Time I Visited Incredible Vegetables My Eyes Opened To A New Group Of Plants That Would Save Me Time & Effort
Table of Contents
It was a cold wet day as I navigated the narrow lanes that lead to the Baddaford Farm collective. I was collecting a seed and plant order from Incredible Vegetables and it was like visiting a ray of sunshine on a dull day. As I entered the office I met Many Barber. Mandy isn’t your usual market gardener, at least not by heritage. She had a career in art before transforming her artistic passion into a thriving perennial (Long Lived Vegetables) nursery, emphasising that small gardens can impact the planet positively
Earlier this week I was back at Baddaford again. This time to collect a few more plants for our food forest and the nursery beds in my own garden. But I digress.
OK, accepted that Mandy’s growing area is a bit bigger than the average garden or allotment. But the thing is all the plants she grows for her online shop can be grown in a small plot. And they will grow especially well if grown as plants guilds, in the same was as she grows them on her nursery, where plants are mixed together rather than grown in formal rows or blocks.
The Incredible Veg nursery is about more than growing plants and seeds for retail. It is about a way of living where the environment matters and resources are shared. It’s a place where biodiversity matters and beneficial insects are attracted by the wide range of perennials.
I could write a lot more about Incredible Veg, it’s ethos is one I share and it is not far from me in Devon where we love those narrow country lanes that lead to magical places such as Baddaford Farm. But rather than write more let’s listen to Mandy as she explains her story and ethos to Huw Richards.
For those with not enough time to listen to Mandy here’s a synopsis of the video.
Perennials & Long Lived Vegetables Video Highlights
🌍 Growing spaces matter: Every garden and allotment contributes to environmental change. 🌱 Perennial plants: Focus on long-lasting crops like perennial broccoli and onions. 📈 Seed saving: The joy of germinating saved seeds fosters sustainability. 💚 Eco-friendly resilience: Perennials require less maintenance and enrich ecosystems. 🍽️ Self-sufficiency: Low-maintenance crops provide consistent food sources. 🌼 Biodiversity: Perennials attract beneficial insects, enhancing garden health. 🧘♀️ Embracing nature: Allowing “chaos” promotes diversity and beauty in gardens.
Long Lived Vegetables Video: Key Insights
🌿 Importance of Perennials: Perennial plants yield food year after year, reducing the workload and enhancing sustainability in gardens and allotments. This approach fosters a more resilient ecosystem that can adapt to changing climates. 🌱 Community Engagement: Mandy’s journey reflects the growing interest in sustainable gardening, showcasing how sharing knowledge can inspire others to cultivate their own edible spaces. Building a community around gardening can create a collective impact on environmental health. It was this community sharing ethos that also prompted me to start BiteSizedGardening at the beginning of the Covid Pandemic. 🌍 Environmental Stewardship: Each small garden contributes to a larger ecological balance, highlighting the importance of individual actions in addressing global environmental issues. A single garden can serve as a microcosm for fostering biodiversity and resilience. It is easy to think we make little difference in our small space. But the reality is that we are part of a greater whole, and if we all head in one direction we can have a huge impact in aggregate. 💪 Educational Journey: Mandy’s transition from artist to gardener underscores the potential for personal growth and learning in unexpected career paths. It emphasizes that passion can lead to fulfilling endeavors that also benefit the community. 🌼 Biodiversity Benefits: By cultivating a diverse range of perennials, gardeners can attract beneficial insects and create habitats that support local wildlife, thus enhancing the ecological network. 🧘♂️ Letting Nature Be: Embracing a less manicured approach to gardening allows for natural growth and evolution, promoting a more authentic and vibrant ecosystem. This philosophy encourages a deeper connection with nature.
🔄 Future Crop Potential: Exploring the cultivation of less common crops like tropical legumes could revolutionise food systems, showcasing the potential for innovation in sustainable agriculture. This forward-thinking approach can help address food security challenges.
Long Lived Vegetables: The Perennial Edible Crop Video
