|
|
Post by ottawagardener on May 6, 2009 18:38:00 GMT -5
As I am interested in edibles that are perennial or self sowing, I thought it would be fun to make some lists of plants that reliably self seed in our gardens:
Zone 5a Can, Zone 4 U.S. about 2-4 feet snow cover annually, frost-frost growing season is 120, but growing season is closer to 180 days.
Here's what I have seen self sow reliably:
orach
purslane (of course)
violets and how
mustard - holy moly - I'll have to post pictures
sweet cicely
sage
lavender but in small amounts
lettuce
some types of ground cherry (Yukos Open Pollinated Seed is reliable)
corn salad / mache
chicory
german chamomile
parsley
carrots if I let 'em
tomatoes if I let 'em - the currants/cherries fruit well
chickweed
amaranth
pumpkins - I usually weed these out
sunflowers
poppies
And more I can think of:
alliums, many including garlic chives
calendula
sunberry
I'm sure I'm missing lots, but I hear the dinner bell!
|
|
sphinxeyes
gardener
Suburbia, small garden in side yard, containers on larger back deck. Hot humid summers.
Posts: 154
|
Post by sphinxeyes on May 6, 2009 19:49:42 GMT -5
Off the top of my head, the two biggest self sowing annoyances in my garden are:
wild violets
morning glory (if there's anyone out there who would actually like morning glory seed, I always have tons, no matter how much I rip out every year)
Other self sowers are:
lily of the valley
lupines
marigolds (I save seed for most, but there are always a few that sow themselves)
hostas
tulips
crocuses
daffodils
lemon balm (but it got out of control last year, so I ripped it all out to make room for more veggies)
That's all I can think of right now.
|
|
|
|
Post by Penny on May 7, 2009 7:32:17 GMT -5
Great list so far, everything that i have thought of, has been named.
|
|
|
|
Post by cff on May 7, 2009 8:14:15 GMT -5
While I’m unsure about the edible content of the plant itself – that dang Buckwheat that I planted as a green manure / bee feed has almost worn out my hoe this year already.
|
|
|
|
Post by bunkie on May 7, 2009 8:41:20 GMT -5
Celery has resown itself the last three years here.
also Cosmos, Tomatillos, and radishes.
|
|
|
|
Post by mnjrutherford on May 7, 2009 16:10:36 GMT -5
Hey Sphinx! I thought I was the lone stranger of morning glories. MAJOR pain in the patoot! This year; however, we have had a massive overgrowth of marigolds of all things. Totally blows me away particularly since I wasn't able to get the to grow well when I originally TRIED to grow them.
My black berries are sending up beautiful new canes. I'll leave them this year as I need new plants, but in future new canes will be dug out at the root and dried. The roots and leaves of new canes are good weapons against colds. I brew them as a tea.
|
|
|
|
Post by flowerpower on May 8, 2009 5:45:03 GMT -5
I find catnip everywhere. And I don't even own a cat. lol I really have to split daffs this yr in a few places. But I wouldn't use the term ''self-sow" for bulbs. They naturalize well though.  |
|
|
|
Post by bunkie on May 8, 2009 8:52:25 GMT -5
'no cat', flowerpower...LOL!
we have lots of Hollyhocks reseeding again this year.
|
|
|
|
Post by bluelacedredhead on May 8, 2009 9:29:54 GMT -5
Dill! After planting mammoth Dill twice, I never had to plant it ever again.
Here, it seems that the yard and the neglected garden patch are overrun by Johnny-Jump-Ups and some kind of tiny English Daisy (isn't that what you told me they are, FP??).
And it's not just our lawn, it's several of the yards on the street. I think it's a lovely effect, especially in the yards of the Depression era cottages like ours.
|
|
|
|
Post by ottawagardener on May 8, 2009 12:20:32 GMT -5
English Daisy: Bellis Perennis - apparently edible though I suspect it's ediblility is 'marginal.'
I like lawns filled with daisy and violets. It's lovely.
|
|
|
|
Post by moonlilyhead on May 8, 2009 17:42:03 GMT -5
Well, not that it's edible (unless you enjoy a reeeeeeeal good time) but my datura reseeds itself every year. The echinacea and chamomile reseed as well. Hmmmm....This prolly doesn't count, but the old potatos that I throw in the compost always turn up as plants. Oh, and my arugula does too.
|
|
sphinxeyes
gardener
Suburbia, small garden in side yard, containers on larger back deck. Hot humid summers.
Posts: 154
|
Post by sphinxeyes on May 8, 2009 20:22:37 GMT -5
mnj: The morning glory have resided at the house for as long as I can remember, so they might very well be considered "heirloom" by this time. I'm not even sure what variety it is, but it doesn't look like any of the varieties I usually see for sale in seed catalogues. The blooms are bright magenta with white centers. I ripped out most of it from the beds two weeks ago, but now after a solid week of rain it's all over the place again!
|
|
|
|
Post by ottawagardener on May 9, 2009 6:27:12 GMT -5
Moonlily: I remember seeing wild datura in disturbed land in Spain but I didn't try to eat it Yeah, we have morning glory too. Lots of morning glory. Lots and lots of morning glory, though I do try to remove most of it. |
|
|
|
Post by bluelacedredhead on May 9, 2009 7:36:54 GMT -5
Disturbed land? OG, what makes land disturbed?  Is that where I would plant Bleeding Hearts perhaps?? Or MIL's Tongue?  |
|
|
|
Post by mnjrutherford on May 9, 2009 7:52:23 GMT -5
Those sound lovely Sphinx! Do you have to love 'em cause they are heirlooms? I don't mind them growing on the margins or in the farmer's field. But if we didn't keep after them constantly in the plots they would (and HAVE) taken over. I can even tell what color they will be from the sprouts! I think that's just nuts!!! We have white, blue, 2 shades of purple and a pink/purple.
Hey Blue... To much datura disturbs the land =oD
Telsing, when did you go to Spain and what part? My family is from Mallorca. LOVE the ensaimada and pastries!
|
|
