The Apocalyse? And Perrennial Veggies

* Most vegetables are annuals and need to be re-planted every growing season. Scroll to the bottom of this post to view a list of veggies that come back year, after year.

What a lucky shot. A wee bee cruises in for a landing, just as I'm zooming in on the flowers.

Do you have an emergency preparedness plan? You know... like when the Zombie Apocalypse happens or something more boring... such as an earthquake?

There are ~ at least ~ 500 of these hot pink Knautia blooms, atop 3 foot stems, waving in the breeze. They're re-seeding themselves throughout the garden. (And, that's fine by me.)

I suppose that sounds kind of silly, asking about a preparedness plan, but it came up in a conversation, so I was wondering if you're more responsible than I am.

Dame's Rocket is another prolific re-seeder. Swallow Tail Butterflies 

love this plant, and call my gardens 'home' because of it.

I used to have one ~ a preparedness plan. After Hurricane Sandy hit, and my friends on the East Coast were devastated by it's force, I thought that might be a good idea. So, I got online and read a number of advice sites. Most of which were pretty darn hysterical. For instance, many of these websites advised me to pack a lot of videos to "keep the kids entertained." And, just how do I do that during a Zombie Apocalypse when the electricity is off?

Columbines not only re-seed, they hybridize with other Columbines, 

creating new color combos every summer.

So, I put pen to paper and calculated what all I would need to feed 5 people for 4 weeks. (I don't have 5 people in my family but you know how friendly folks can be when they run out of food.. best to plan ahead.)

Then I went shopping. For propane, candles, water purifying tablets, canned goods and... the whole time I was doing this I felt like an absolute paranoid nut bag.

Did you know that deer hate Poppies? Actually, all of those pesky vegetarians ~ deer, elk, 

moose and even my horses ~ say ix-nay to the oppies-pay. 

So, plant a drift of them when your country garden becomes a smorgasbord.

So, I was totally prepared! But, the big earthquake, tornado, day after tomorrow, whatever... didn't happen. And, me being the lazy gal that I am, I'd skip a run to the store, now and then, because I had a whole storage cabinet of groceries ~ ~ for when life as we know it no longer exists.

To some, Robins are so common they're barely noticed. But, I love 'em. 

This little babe has been hopping around my garden all week, 

greedily gobbling the worms I toss his way.

It was my daughter who asked about the emergency preparedness plan. Imagine my embarrassment when I had to tell her that we have exactly one can of black beans, for the 3 of us, forever, because I ate everything else in the cabinet. (I don't particularly care for black beans and that's why we'll still survive!)

But you're a master gardener! She exclaims. Yeah, well, if you like munching on flowers and worms, I've got you covered.

TIP:
Most vegetables are annuals, which means you have to plant them every year. Here are a few perennial veggies. Plant these once, and enjoy this harvest, year after year: 

• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Ground Nuts (called the Indian Potato, it produces beans and edible tubers)
• Rhubarb

ANOTHER HOT TIP: EDIBLE WEEDS
You can happily dine on a lot of weeds in your garden, too. Or, my garden! Stop on by and I'll hand you a spade...

• Dandelions: Salads, yes, but, more importantly, roasted and ground, they're an okay coffee substitute. (Now we just need to scavenge some fresh half & half.)
• Clover: Only pink and red. Roast the flowers.
• Lamb's Quarters: A cross between Spinach and Swiss Chard.
• Mallow: Salads & cooked greens.
• Plantain: Tea, salads and a terrific, natural, medicinal for open wounds. (Which could come in handy during the Zombie Apocalypse...)

Follow @Kate_HAGardens