Hardy Perennials

[clanpowell]

Hi, not been on for a while, due to doing an awful lot of self sufficient living! We're looking to set up a perennial veg area on our land. Here en Haute Correze we have two related obstacles. Temperature which can get as low as -20 in the winter and snow cover, this year we were covered for nearly two months. We have a good book on the subject and we've had a little success this year. Blackcurrant bushes, gooseberries, rhubarb does well here as do Jeruselem Artichokes, the mayor gave us a good spinach that self seeds and popped up everywhere this spring, the strawberries survived and some leeks I never got round to pulling up before the snows were eaten last month. We were wondering if anyone else had some good tips for veg that can survive harsh conditions. The Spring, summer and autumn are great for all growing. Winter is really cold here and the growing season starts a good month behind more temperate Europe. Any more ideas. Also any good (here one should replace the word good with cheap!) suppliers. Before anyone asks, yes I have googled it! (and read a book, shocking in this day and age I know!)

[diggernotdreamer]

Two very good kales are Sutherland and Westphalian, they can withstand very low temperatures. I agree with you, I hate googleing stuff, you get so much info coming up, I read books too, when the power goes out across the world, we still have our books

[clanpowell]

Excellent, my thoughts exactly. I'm constantly amazed by the reaction when I tell people "I'll just check John Seymour or (of course) the self sufficientish bible" So many just say-"Why don't you just google it" and whip out their phones then spend 10min finding a signal and sifting through the rubbish. If I'm at home then 9/10 I find the info before they can! Will look into the kale. Part of our problem is that we are in deepest darkest France. They eye anything not from a traditional potager with great suspicion and can be difficult to find.

[doofaloofa]

There are some good bamboos

Canes for the garden and shoots to eat in the spring

They can be invasive if you get a creeper rather than a clumper, but are shade tollerent so I plant mine in the woods

Got some Moso seeds on ebay (8" stems)

[doofaloofa]

http://zone5.org/2012/04/growing-perennial-vegetables/

This is a book review by my friend Graham from his Zone 5 website

Check it out

[boboff]

Sweet Cisally (sp?) is a lovely plant that thrives in these conditions. Great in Salads as leaves, and the seeds are like sweeties

[clanpowell]

http://zone5.org/2012/04/growing-perennial-vegetables/

This is a book review by my friend Graham from his Zone 5 website

Check it out

Ooo that''s the book we're using. It's great. Loads of good stuff almost spoiled for choice! Which is sort of why I asked the question and it's always good to get a bit of tried and tested advice. His place looks great as well.
Will look into Sweet Ciserly and a suitable bamboo. One end of our land is quite boggy so might stick some in with willows-which I've seen growing round here so should be OK. Might be an option if we "up-eco" (Is that even a word/phrase?) our fosse!