7 Perennials You Should Have in Your Vegetable Garden
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Adding these perennials you should have in your vegetable garden is one of the smartest and easiest ways to build a garden that gives back year after year.
Perennial plants come back on their own, often with less work, fewer inputs, and more resilience. They’re perfect for busy gardeners, beginner gardeners, and teaching gardens with kids.
Why Add Perennials to a Vegetable Garden?
Perennials earn their space in the garden because they:
- Come back year after year
- Improve soil health over time
- Require less planting and maintenance
- Attract pollinators and beneficial insects
- Help children understand long-term growth and care
Even adding just a few perennial plants can make a vegetable garden more productive and more enjoyable.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a true long-term investment in the garden. While it takes patience to establish, once it’s growing well, it can produce for 15 to 20 years. When I was a kid, my grandma and I would harvest asparagus along the foundations of homes built after the land run. It can last a LONG time!
Why it’s great:
- Early spring harvest
- Very low maintenance once established
- Teaches patience and delayed gratification
Kid-friendly idea: Have children check the garden daily in spring to spot the first spears popping through the soil. And kids LOVE to crack them off the plant. (So do I!)
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a hardy perennial with large leaves and colorful stalks. While the leaves are not edible, the stalks are commonly used in baking and cooking. It’s great if you live in a cooler climate. In Oklahoma, it’s pretty hard to grow because of the heat and humidity, but some people can do it!
Why it’s great:
- Comes back stronger each year
- Extremely cold-hardy
- Adds structure and visual interest to the garden
Teaching moment: Use rhubarb to talk about which parts of plants are safe to eat and which are not.
Chives
Chives are one of the easiest perennial herbs to grow and fit beautifully into vegetable gardens.
Why they’re great:
- Come back early every spring
- Edible flowers
- Easy for kids to harvest
- Attract pollinators
Bonus: The purple flowers are edible and fun to explore in the kitchen. And they are adorable growing!
Walking Onions (Egyptian Onions)
Walking onions are a fascinating perennial that grows small bulbs at the top of the stalk instead of seeds. When the stalk bends, the bulbs take root, helping the plant “walk” across the garden.
Why they’re great:
- Multiply on their own
- Very cold-hardy
- Fun and educational for kids
Garden lesson: Great for teaching plant reproduction without seeds. One warning is to make sure you grow them in a container, they will go EVERYWHERE and invade your entire yard.
Sorrel
Sorrel is a leafy green with a lemony flavor that returns early each spring.
Why it’s great:
- One of the earliest greens you can harvest
- Thrives in cooler temperatures
- Adds variety to salads and soups
Taste test idea: Let kids sample a small piece to explore sour flavors safely. You can also use your excess sorrel in green powder to increase nutrients in your dishes.
Perennial Herbs to Include
Many herbs commonly grown in vegetable gardens are perennials, making them dependable staples.
Great options include:
Why they’re great:
- Low maintenance
- Useful in everyday cooking
- Many help repel pests or attract beneficial insects (Great for companion planting)
For a complete companion planting guide, check this out on Etsy!
Strawberries
Strawberries are often grown like annuals, but they are actually perennials that can produce for several years when cared for properly.
Why they’re great:
- A favorite with kids
- Spread easily by runners
- Can be grown in beds or containers
Tip: Strawberries are perfect for teaching kids about patience while waiting for fruit to ripen. And they LOVE finding the bright red berries. We say, make sure they are red red!
Adding perennials to your vegetable garden creates a stronger, more sustainable space that improves every year. These plants reduce workload, increase harvests over time, and provide valuable learning opportunities for children and adults alike.
Start small, choose a few favorites, and let your garden grow smarter each season.
