Perennials can be a great addition to the garden. They do not require yearly tillage and sowing, and generally need less fertility than faster-growing annuals. They can often use areas that are too shady, too full of roots and rocks, or too steep for other crops.

But nothing is without cost--perennials do not yield as much as annual vegetables. A plant that is going to live through the winter or for many seasons must save much of its energy and biomass for its own survival. They are a supplement, not a substitute, for other vegetables.

Some of the easiest to sprout and grow are familiar annuals with perennial tendencies--like perpetual spinach, Delft leeks,  and leaf celery. Many that hail from mild climates or have a history of cultivation show reliable germination, like sorrel, bunching onions, erba stella, rhubarb, asparagus, and chives. The truly wild plants from northern regions, like Caucasus Spinach and Good King Henry, (as well as Alpine Strawberry) are challenging to even experienced gardeners. They are programmed to stay dormant through the winter and sprout, a few at a time, in spring. Success with them depends on mimicking that schedule.