Herbs And Vegetables That Return To Your Garden Every Year

Vegetable and herb gardens are a great way to have the freshest ingredients at your fingertips while also saving you a few dollars in the process. While these gardens tend to save you plenty of money in the long run, they do cost money to maintain. If, however, you plant herbs and vegetables that grow back every year, you’ll save time and money year after year.

Some of the most popular perennial herbs you should consider adding to your garden include chives, mint, lavender, lemon balm, oregano, and sage. You can also find several types of perennial basil. Horseradish is a fragrant herb and vegetable that returns annually. Some popular perennial vegetables include asparagus, broccoli, artichokes, garlic, sweet potatoes, and rhubarb. Leafy greens like sorrel and watercress will also return to your garden every spring.

It’s fun to map out a new garden plan each year, but having a few mainstay herbs and vegetables is efficient and cost-effective. Many people think you need to re-seed and plant your entire herb and vegetable garden each year, but this isn’t true. Below is a list of some amazing perennial herbs and vegetables worth adding to your garden.

Eight Herbs That Return To Your Garden Annually

1. Mint

Mint is a fragrant, versatile, and easy-to-grow herb. Many types of mint have their own specific flavors and benefits. Mint grows like a weed, so it grow easily, and it grows back every year.

In areas with harsh winters, the mint leaves may die, but the root structure will remain intact. By late spring, you will notice that the mint will begin to sprout. Consider planting several types of mint in a specific location, as it is almost guaranteed to grow back for many years.

2. Lavender 

Lavender is another herb with many uses. It has a wonderful fragrance, beautiful purple flowers, and a soothing essence that can be added to both food and cosmetics. Lavender is also a perennial.

With proper care, lavender can live for upwards of 15 years. It is also a part of the evergreen family, which means it maintains its color even in the winter. This makes it an ideal herb for indoor and outdoor use.

3. Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is a great herb for those who want to brew homemade tea. It is also a popular natural remedy that has all sorts of benefits, from anti-inflammatory properties to relieving anxiety. This healthy and unique herb is also a perennial. While it will go dormant in cold winters, it will reliably return each spring.

4. Oregano

If you are a home chef of Mediterranean cuisine, then you should have oregano in your garden. There are several varieties of oregano, and some of them are so easy to grow that they are nearly impossible to kill. 

In addition to being popular in herb gardens for their culinary uses, oregano is also a great herb for those who want to grow plants that will return to the garden each spring for several years.

5. Sage

Sage is an herb that is used in everything from rustic cuisine to ceremonial practices. This Mediterranean herb has leaves with a distinct aroma and many benefits. 

Sage is also considered a perennial. While it does not grow back indefinitely, it can live for five years or longer with proper maintenance.

6. Chives

Chives are a member of the allium family. Alliums are great at repelling several garden pests, including aphids, Japanese beetles, and even deer. You can use chives in many recipes to add additional flavor to savory cuisine.

When you plant chives in your garden, you can expect them to grow back every year. The green shoots will die off once temperatures get too cold, but they will return with the warmer weather.

7. Basil (Some Varieties)

Basil can last anywhere from a few weeks to several years. It depends on how you maintain it and also the variety you grow. Several types of basil are considered perennial plants. If you want to grow basil that will return to your garden on its own for several years, grow African blue basil, or white and pink perennial basil.

8. Horseradish

Horseradish is a potent root that is considered an herb and a vegetable. It’s used in cocktail sauce, and accompanied with oysters, and in many other sauces as a flavor booster. Horseradish plants establish a strong and deep taproot. This allows the plant to survive through the winter even when part of the plant dies off in cold temperatures. 

Eight Garden Vegetables That Return To Your Garden Annually

1. Asparagus

Asparagus is a healthy and delicious perennial vegetable. Asparagus is known for its unique crispy stalks. It is also a plant you can start in the fall, as it is often one of the first vegetables you can harvest each spring.

Not only is asparagus a great plant for spring gardens, but it is also one of the longest-lasting perennial vegetables. This plant will grow back every year for 20 years or longer, which can result in significant cost savings at the grocery store, as it is quite pricey in supermarkets.

2. Artichoke

Artichokes are members of the thistle family that have delicious edible buds you can enjoy in various preparations. These plants are quite pricey in stores, especially out of season, which makes them a wonderful and resilient plant to cultivate in most growing zones.

Artichokes are perennials that can grow annually for five years, and sometimes longer. This gives you a fantastic return on your investment.

3. Rhubarb

Rhubarb might be associated with sweet foods like pie and other baked goods, but this reddish stalk is technically a vegetable. There are tons of reasons to grow rhubarb. It’s a cold-hardy plant that works well in areas with short growing seasons.

It’s also very low-maintenance. Best of all, this perennial will grow back each year for a decade or longer.

4. Watercress 

If you want to grow healthy greens that grow back year after year, then watercress is a great option. Watercress, as its name suggests, loves water. This makes it a great plant for flood-prone areas. 

This leafy green grows back annually. Best of all, unlike many other garden greens, you can cultivate watercress for many months, not just once a year.

5. Garlic

Garlic is another popular plant you can harvest in the spring. You can put garlic in just about any savory dish, especially in Mediterranean cuisine. It is also nutritious, being a good source of vitamin C and other nutrients.

Garlic is a perennial, but it is best to divide the original bulbs to ensure more plants sprout the following season.

6. Longevity Spinach

Longevity spinach is another healthy green that you can cultivate for many years without replanting. Unlike most spinach varieties that must be replanted each growing season, longevity spinach can grow back independently for several years.

This plant works best as a perennial in warmer climates with mild winters. You can grow it in cooler growing zones, but usually as an annual.

7. Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are often cultivated as an annual plant. However, if you live in a warmer climate, you can also grow these tasty root vegetables as perennials in your home garden. You can either leave them be or use clippings of existing plants to grow new ones. If you live in a colder climate, sweet potatoes are best as annuals.

8. Sorrel

Sorrel is a unique and aromatic green that you can eat raw or add to soups and savory dishes. It has tart citrus notes that distinguish it from spinach and other leafy greens. It is cold-hardy and resilient in many environments.

In addition to its resilience, sorrel is also known to grow back on its own for five years or more. This great leafy green is for those looking for a nutritious and low-maintenance addition to the garden.

Summing Up Perennial Herbs And Vegetables You Should Grow

Perennial herbs and vegetables are a genuine asset for any garden. Since these plants grow back independently year after year, you can save time and money each spring when you start your garden anew. Some herbs that can grow back for many years include lavender, mint, sage, oregano, chives, and several basil species. Popular vegetables that are considered perennials include asparagus, rhubarb, artichoke, longevity spinach, watercress, and sorrel.

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