In our March blog post, we kicked off a new series by laying out our top ecological values in our landscapes and gardens. We strive for the landscapes that we steward to:
Build the soil ecosystem, restoring our rapidly disappearing topsoil
Minimize the need for fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides
Catch stormwater, decreasing the threat of floods and reducing run-off and erosion
Trap carbon in the soil
Support biodiversity and native wildlife
Reduce and responsibly use waste
Last time, we discussed the importance of avoiding soil disturbance to achieve the above goals. Today we want to share the importance of:
2. Incorporating Perennials
Perennials bring a permanence to our gardens that annual crops just can’t provide. While annuals are removed from the garden season by season, perennials stay in the ground year after year. This means that they disturb the soil less and provide year round habitat and food for wildlife. But their permanence also gives them the opportunity to grow a robust root system that holds soil in place (reducing erosion), to dig down deep (breaking up soils and accessing hard to reach nutrients), and to foster an extensive relationship with soil biology (which won’t have to be reestablished every season).
Our favorite perennials serve many purposes.
Fruit: Brambles, bushes, and trees can provide the above benefits while supplying delicious fruit and berries for people and birds alike.
Herbs: Lavender, sage, thyme, and oregano are all hardy perennial herbs which make excellent ornamental plants as well as sources for culinary herbs. Their small, compound flowers are ideal for pollinators and beneficial insects.
Pollination: We like to plant native flowering perennials like milkweed, cone flowers, and black-eyed susans to provide nectar and habitat for native pollinators.
Dynamic Accumulation: Plants like comfrey are credited as dynamic accumulators which send down deep taproots to pull nutrients up to the top of the soil where neighboring plants can access them.
To keep from disturbing your perennials’ roots, we don’t recommend growing them in raised beds with annual crops. Rather, we recommend that you grow them nearby enough that they will attract pollinators and through-out your property to maximize their benefit.
