The Perennial Kitchen Garden | Design & Goals for 2024 

The way you adapt your attitude to the garden shows one of the greatest aspects of gardening to me. It is not about getting it perfect and then doing the same thing year after year, but the fun is all about growing, adapting, changes things up a bit, exploring. As the garden grows, so does the gardener

Huw, I really have to admit, I hate your garden because it's not in my yard, however I am really inspired by it. Just have to allow my wind break to hurry up and grow, as whatever I create will be torn apart.

Totally makes sense. Grow what you love to eat and what you can't get or is most expensive at the market. Also, crazy beautiful food forest works for me, so I do plant for the wild animals, my chickens and bunnies.

After watching this I've decided to give up and hand the plot back!!!!!! Absolutely unreal! Amazing 👏

"Excitement" and experimenting with new plants makes gardening an adventure 🌱👍

May I suggest a variation of "perennial" where seeds are not bought, but grown. For many crops, a particular variety is not needed - just similar leaves. For example, most people don't care what lettuce variety they have, just that it is lettuce. Same with rocket, mizuna, mibuna, etc. So let them go to seed, and then use the seeds later. Of course, even with broccoli going to seed you can still use the leave as cabbage substitute.

If you like green onions, there's quite a few perennial ones like Welsh onions, walking onions, victory onions.

I am so behind this year it feels overwhelming, it was too wet to get anything out early or keep on top of the weeds and they have gone mad (the entrance to the allotments where I am gets so water logged where we are that it is impossible to walk up it to get to my plot which meant I wasn’t able to bring in some of the compost/manure I needed in autumn, my compost area is a work in progress, and it’s delayed so much) and in order to get plants out I have so much to do. Telling myself it’s okay but have had to revisit my plans and compost some plants that would normally have gone in, now weeding one bed at a time and doing what I can and focusing on beans/peas, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, herbs and a few onions for the summer with a view to putting in some brassicas here and there as I can and for overwintering (luckily the garlic I planted before it got really bad is doing really well). Not ideal but I am grateful for anything I can get that is home grown especially with such a difficult start to the season. Very interested in perennials so excited to see where you go with this and may help me chose some plants that could help fill in the gaps in difficult years 🌱

You have created a charming and productive palace in a lush landscape, very beautiful Hew!

Wow, you’re so ahead of the game! I’m still in seedling stage. We had several late frosts but also, I’m still learning + had to travel. Thankfully a dear friend is keeping tabs on them. 3 more days and I’ll see my garden babies!

Just paused the video to say THANK YOU for not making me sit through the blurb about the gizmo that I don't need and have no interest in. VERY considerate. And, now, back to the show. . . . :)

I have been trying to establish my perrenial veg garden in Sweden. I have asparagus, rhubarb, chives, fruit trees and varipus berry bushes, I found sourcing other type of veg plants is difficult. Eg. I cannot local nursrous that carry perrenial kale plants. The selection of seeds is also limited, and more difficult to germinate. .. I look forward to see the new chapter of your new garden and the audiences to get new inspiration!

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ I Love the work you do in the garden 😍 🎉🎉🎉 it looks so beautiful.

Episode 2: Return Of The Huw

It's my first year growing anything this year so I've started small just to learn some basics but I'm hoping next year to focus on perenials for fruit and growing salads so I can be self sufficient in the things that I love and are the most expensive first.

It makes so much sense! I can’t wait to watch the progression of phase 2!

Needed to hear that perspective on May. It’s such an exciting, daunting, challenging, and rewarding time.

Glad to hear that I am not the only one who does not care lettuce because everyone recommends them. I really like the concept of having the garden work as hard for you as you work for it and year round gardening is great for that!!

Thanks for another informative video.🙂I only have four 1 metre square raised beds in my back garden, plus fruit trees in pots. This year I'm growing as many perennial fruit and veg as possible, and removing some of the ornamentals in my front garden. That way I can plant fruit and veg amongst the bushes and flowers, making the garden both pretty and productive. I've just finished last year's runner beans from the freezer, so am growing again. However, if my dwarf french beans get destroyed by slugs again, I will ditch them. As you say, it's what you like, along with what works for you.

I love your garden Huw! And I love that you focus on things you actually *eat* - plus lots of flowers! 🌼

Good King Henry is my all time favourite perennial, plus perennial onions, sea spinach, and biennials like kales.

Such a cool project! I really like where you are going with it. I love the idea of growing only on what I really want to eat, but it seems I keep adding more explorations and trials!

Great video, thank you. I'm also growing way more than I need now. I give away a lot, and have sold excess at my local market. All the extra cash goes back into the garden, so it pays for itself finally (after 7 years!).

I've come to the conclusion this year that I am only growing things I really like to eat. I love growing everything ,but don't eat it all. Reseeding plants and perennials are being added slowly.

When I saw you burning leeks I thought that’s strange but I think you were cooking them? There’s so much to do after the long rains that I am gardening with a broken leg! My asparagus and artichokes are producing and can’t buy these anywhere near as fresh.Welsh onions have been great and I used these as spring onions with purple sprouting broccoli in stir fries. Great garden you are doing I am getting the book and buying a tunnel this autumn.

Thank you Huw, you are very organised. 👍🌞

Fantastic. I love your self-sufficiency book - step by step, month by month, producing as much 'traditional' food as possible. This new phase of using that experience as a basis from which to produce a personal, customised version is perfect. 'Efficiency' (growing as much as possible) is important to commercial growers, the more they grown the more money they make -- but when growing for yourself, you simply need 'enough', it doesn't have to be acres of spuds just because they are energy dense etc...

Hi Huw, this sounds interesting. It will be good to see how it all goes. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊

I have a half perennial garden! My top producers are seakale for cabbage and spring broccolis. I grow green garlic, scallions and elephant garlic (for leeks) by planting a clove or bulb and harvesting them all except for the largest one which i plant again for next year in the same spot. Hablitzia and good king henry for potherbs. Aswell as handfull of perennial salad leaf plants. Im growing crambe cordifolia as a cabbage to try this year as the seakale doesnt go bitter in my lukewarm rainy climate but i hear its not always tasty.

Your new garden space is about the same size as what we are currently growing in, so I am super excited to watch as you grow different crops in it so I can get new ideas! I have been slow in adding perennials so I am also super excited to see what you plant so I can gain some inspiration for my own garden ❤

Can’t wait to read the books!❤️🙌🏻🙏🏻✝️

Love all your videos- thanks for sharing your knowledge Huw

Absolutely amazing work!!! X

This video exactly describes my dream for the coming years and I recognize so many of the feelings you talk about Huw! Thanks once more for putting it all into an overview

Just got my book and am very happy with its contents. Its like it cleared a road block I was having with my space. I’m very excited for the weekend to make my first raised beds.

Ah, even half a tennis court space seems nice, compared to our garden in the UK! We are already pushing it to its limits, and coming up with ideas to squeeze every single inch of growing space 😅

just relaxing inside as it gets hot in my garden at mid day. may is always playing catch up because suddenly every weed has decided to grow over night. but a lot of them will feed my rabbits and they will feed me. I like my fruit the best. strwberries and raspberries are firm favorites. I have more luck with flowers (which I sell) but trying hard for my greens. I will only eat peas sitting next to the plants. corn is inedible unles you grow them yourself!

I enjoy your videos very much. Thank you for inspiring us.

Brilliant! So productive and great to have a goal for the year. I think flavour is such and important benefit of homegrown, plus the nutritional content compared to conventionally farmed produce 🙂

Thank you, emotional connection , experimentation and joy- that’s my kind of gardening but it never fit the standard garden profile.

pls keep us updated I am so excited to see how this looks. florals within veg areas look beautiful, and your camera work is brilliant so I can't wait to see what you do :))

Hi from California. Preordered your book months ago & it arrived today, only got to quickly flip through it so far & it looks fantastic. Excited to see how things change as you move towards perennials in this garden.

last year was my first time seriously growing pepper, long beans and especially the tomatoes was so productive and healthy without any fertilizers i could pick matured but unripe tomatoes and eat them raw and they tasted like apples i never knew tomatoes tasted so good until i planted mine, this year the weather been brutally hot until may it started raining so we go again this time hot peppers and tomatoes with cassava

I got my book yesterday in the states. It looks like a really well done book so far.

🇨🇦 I’m loving your book.

tree collard is a nice perennial, which you can make some tasty collard greens.

Got your book through Amazon yesterday. Love how it's laid out and presented, very easy to learn from and follow. Our weather here in my part of Canada has been the same, cool and wet so far. Really hoping for warmer weather soon, it's been too cool to put my tomatoes and peppers out so far.

Idea for showing the entirety of what you grow/harvest in the pace in a year You should have a position up high you can attach a camera, looking down at a field / lawn /space etc. Then every time you harvest lay the food out in that space starting from left to right, and as the year goes on you can comp all the images footage together and display the entire years haul in one shot.

Pre-order book came today from Amazon. I am so excited that I took both old dogs outside with me to read. NOPE! Now I am trying to talk myself into following my plan to weed or throwing that out to read your book!! Nk

yes also in north of Italy, it's been raining a lot in the last 3 months!! the growing is very slow, we are way back ...

I really enjoy your videos. I only wish you were in a similar climate to mine. I am in the south eastern U.S. where it gets hot and humid and there aren't any decent permaculture practitioners in a similar setting. Really impressed with your videos.

Beautiful and inspiring garden Huw! And I'm loving your book, which just arrived a few days ago ❤

I’m new to the channel and preordered your book a few days ago, I had a successful garden for a few years now but excited to learn more and step my game up!!

Thank you a great video

get thornless blackberry plants, they grow like a weed in a drought. Peach tree's do great in droughts too. I love not having to plant every year when having perennials

This is very expensive project to do. I am doing something similar. Cost of beds and bark and soil if you don't have good soil. If you need chemicals or seeds there's another cost. Cost of water if you don't have butts. Time and space. WOW it adds up.

My copy of the book in the states will be here Tuesday!!

Good stuff

I can't wait to see how you develop this space over the next couple of years Huw and after your recommendations I'm excited to try globe artichoke & amaranth this year, viewing, eating & growing! Hoping Sam will have some recipes for us as they come into season too 😋 I'm currently faffing around with hawthorne blossoms & will be onto chives next week 😁 I plan on using amaranth to give salads & brassicas a little midday/early afternoon shade & as a backdrop for gladioli 🤞🏻so delighted to find different varieties have come out such different colours, for some reason Love-Lies-Bleeding is the only one with 0% germination 🤔 I was considering putting artichokes towards the back of a flower patch, they seem particularly tasty to slugs & snails though 🐌 Can't wait for your next newsletter for your crop list, I'd be interested to know of/if your flowers play any other roles than beauty & pollination in the garden? I've been wondering if I might be able to use achillea, foxglove, artichoke, lupines & verbascum leaves as mulch (with comfrey/nettles/grass), are any of those a bad idea/must be chopped as opposed to just dropped? Almost ready to do my last sowing of winter crops this week 🌿💚

I just have rhubarb, fruit bushes and trees as my perennial fruit and veg. Had bought lots of asparagus crowns to be planted last year but they went to loss as never got to plant them but just bought 2 crowns few days ago (would have bought more but they all looked dead) and want to get them planted up this week! But have loads of things to get planted out, my leeks are not doing well unfortunately, dont know whats up and i changed to all organic/heirloom seeds so lots of seed saving for me 😊

I just ordered the north American version of your book 😁

I think this is a lovely idea for new gardeners, even if it's therapy gardening, or even to young couples trying to save a bob or two.... and how to get food for free The average size garden can vary but as #Huw Richards has given is a half tennis course which is a great workable size for any age..... just trying to grow things twice a year can be a challenge and how to eat all year vegetables ...... bring out the stew vide #Huw Richards

That's great amazing 😊

have you ever heard of sonic bloom and electroculture?

Interesting idea to turn towards personal needs. I’m living in the northwest peninsula in Spain, and I’m wondering what would be the minimum temperature that would force me to build a hotbed?

There is never excess its for the neighbours... Mind you, cauliflowers are lovely 😂

*fewer* ha ha! I loved that!

Hi, lovely video! Could you go over your ‘ sliding door ‘ on your high tunnel? The metal frame is different from any ‘barn door’ system I’ve seen before. Thank you😊USA.

Hey Hugh, where did you get those new raiesd beds from?

It’s a bit of pressure now to get everything planted up on the allotment, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, it’s best to take the time and do a really good job initially adding well rotted compost in the planting hole with a mulch around and have beautiful veggies rather than have the plants struggle and attacked by pests, your growing area looks well organised but I’m afraid all those paths and raised beds would be a tripping hazard for me and also the paths can’t be used in the following years rotation, the cost of the wood too is also a consideration, financial and to the environment, poor trees eh? Best wishes, Lisa

Thanks to fluoridated water and bad dentistry that ruined my teeth, I can only eat mush and smooth soup, despite the fact I used to eat loads of natural foods with crunch. I'm sick of soup, lol! So it's very demoralising that I cannot pick fruit or veg in a garden and eat it there and then. Consequently, I struggle with motivation especially as my health isn't good so energy is at a premium: growing stuff you know you can't eat (most of what people usually eat) is not much fun! . I'm trying to get enthusiastic about potatoes as I can eat mash!

I purchased your book and watched old videos on raised beds, where in book or anywhere, to confirm best wood source/size for the beds itself, I’m in UK. As the hoop beds, youve described of course suit current board used in your book and videos, maybe I missed this but I’ve checked no luck. Also you have older videos, in your opinion what other options cheaper, as I am starting out.

The Huw man doing the garden upright. are you going to do pumpkins this year? I am a fan of table pumpkins.

Love your style Huw - great stuff and super inspiring thanks .... New Home and currently designing a new Organic Gardens atm .... Quick question regarding raised beds - Would you recommend Recycled plastic or untreated wood from local Sawmill - I'm a little bit skeptical about the plastic leaching although I'm told it's certified as fit for Organic use (?) Cheers ....

Some great advice. Yet again. Grow what you like. Remember, that you are in control. P.s sad to hear you live by yourself. You would make an excellent partner for someone.

Hi Huw I would like to make a fence for my kitchen garden like yours, what did you use to make it?😊

Huw what lumber are these raise beds made from? I’ve watched all of your older videos on building raised beds but can’t see reference to these new ones, they look smart and strong.

What width beds do you find best? Thanks

Hi Huw and thanks for another great video. Please can you tell me how to estimate the potential amount of harvests from a plot? I have 2x 1.2m x 2.4m raised beds and would like to know how much I should be aiming for. Thank you 🙏 and I look forward to your next video

Where is the poly tunnel from?

I’m only one person, I eat all veggies, what would u suggest for a first time Gardner?( in a very very tight budget)

I’m looking to increase my perennials also so I was surprised to hear you mention perennial Nasturtiums? The only ones I’ve found are perennial in zone 9-11 only. Is there another variety?

What is the new metal raised bed please? I didn’t catch the brand name.

How large is your kitchen garden in square meters? Very interesting approach!

I mean Huw 😂🥰

How do you deal w pests? I have 2 beds and overnight something decimated my crops - disheartening.

Hi Huw…Where did you get you raised plant beds from please?

My garden often becomes a groundhog sufficiency garden 😂

Will your new book be in other languages too like the previous one?

How big are your raised beds?

What camera do you use?

I grew globe artichokes on my allotment - impossible to get rid of once you've grown them once. My family called them "fartichokes" for obvious reasons. They taste ok but the side-effects are embarassing

Hi Huw, I see that you have signed copies of your book "The Self Sufficiency Garden for sale, before I make the purchase, is there any way to get a personalized copy? My wife and I are big fans, but live in the US and i would love to give her something special for her birthday.

How do you grow brassica without netting? Mine get attacked by pigeons, cabbage white and flea beetles. I would love not to use netting….

👍👍👌

There's a reason the universal distress call is "May Day, May Day".

please adopt me - I promise to save you from all that excess veggie harvest!

Why on earth do you have those raised beds sitting on top of each other outside of the greenhouse? I do enjoy your videos very much but seeing that makes no sense to me. 🤔🤔🤔

What width beds do you find best? Thanks

What width beds do you find best? Thanks