PERMA
PERMA
VEGGIES
D R . C H R I S T Y G A R N E R
(aren’t plant friends the best kind?)
Welcome to a journey into the incredible world of Perma Veggies—your key
to an eternally overflowing, delicious, and nutritious garden that asks for
nothing but a sprinkle of your time and care.
I'm Dr. Christy, a chiropractor by profession and a homesteader at heart.
For over 20 years I've dedicated myself to the practice of natural medicine.
About eight years ago, my family and I embarked on a journey to the
mountains, trading city hustle for a tranquil homestead filled with fresh air,
open space, and more room to stretch out and realize our hopes and
dreams of living closer to the land.
I N T R O D U C T I O N
Hello my plant friends...
Before we dive in, may I suggest you give yourself a bread-crumb trail so
you can find your way back to this book with ease? This book is a living
book, a constant work in progress, that I’ll continue to update with new
videos and tips as I discover them. Take three seconds to add this book
to your home screen or desktop so you can easily come back to it when
you’re ready to do some garden planning or when it’s planting or harvesting
time.
Okay...on with our story. My homesteading adventure
started with a simple question: "How can I grow a ton
of food for my family that's delicious, nutrient-dense,
and requires the least amount of work?" Sounds like
the gardening equivalent of a magic formula, right?
Turns out my quest did uncover the magic, revealed in
the lasting beauty and easy effort of... perennial
plants!
But like all great adventures, my journey didn't start
out looking so brilliant; in fact, it was kind of
depressing. Like many fresh-faced homesteaders, I too
started with big ambitions of growing the majority of
my family's food. Knowing the unparalleled nutritional
value and flavor of home-grown food, I was excited to
bring this gift to my own family's table after two
decades of guiding others toward healthier lifestyles.
After years of dreaming, I finally got my plot of land,
strapped on my gardening tool belt, and ordered an
embarrassing amount of vegetable seeds from The
Baker Creek seed catalog. And I was off to the races!
But let me tell you, my reality of annual gardening
was less "The Secret Garden" and more "Survivor:
Garden Edition."
I N T R O D U C T I O N
Annual gardening is crazy hard
work! Harder work than I (or my
back) were ready for. My gardens
looked nothing like the pictures in
the seed catalogs. And even
worse, here I was living my dream,
and the truth was, I wasn’t really
having much fun. I could handle
the sowing and harvesting, but it
was all the stuff in between that
was
dragging
me
down—the
never-ending
cycle
of
soil
preparation, crop rotations, pest
combating, watering, fertilizing,
gopher-proofing
and
then...
starting all over again the next
season! It was endless!
Adding to my challenges, the hot
California sun seemed to hold a
grudge against my plants, wilting
them in its intense glare. And
pests? Well, let's just say they had
a field day. I felt like I was playing
a non-stop game of garden
Whac-A-Mole. Once I got on top
of one pest, another would pop
up in its place. Not to mention,
every vacation came with the
guilt of abandoning my green
babies and a dread of what I'd
find upon returning.
A few seasons in, I knew a
change
was
needed.
But
surrendering my dream? That was
a notion I was unwilling to
entertain.
I N T R O D U C T I O N
It was this desperation to have
more ease, joy, and success in my
garden that caused me to dive
down the rabbit hole of Perma
Veggies. I became obsessed with
finding the easiest way to grow
the most delicious and nutritious
food possible, and thankfully, I
wasn't alone in my pursuit.
As it turns out, I was walking a
path well-trodden. Generations
of
plant
enthusiasts
from
worldwide cultures had blazed
this trail long before the advent
of
annual
vegetables.
These
pioneers nurtured the practice of
cultivating
perennial,
ever-
returning vegetables and they
were, and still are, an important
component of diets around the
world.
My goal was to find a permanent,
perennial alternative to as many
annual veggies as possible. The
result of my relentless search is
what you’ll find growing in my
garden, in the meals I feed my
family, and in the pages of this
book.
And I’m happy to report that with
more ease and space in my
gardening efforts, I’ve also found
that gardening isn’t just about
how much food I can grow. It’s
been a spiritual journey too, a
soul-soothing connection to the
Earth that has taught me valuable
life lessons—when I’m willing to
listen. For each Perma Veggie, I’ll
share an inspiring insight I've
learned from working with these
amazing plants. They've taught
me
a
thing
or
two
about
patience,
resilience,
and
the
brilliance of the natural world.
I have no doubt they will talk to
you, too.
Enough drumroll, let’s dive into
the world of Perma Veggies
together. I hope to help you make
your gardening dreams a reality
the easy and sustainable way.
Plant once. Eat forever. That’s
my kind of gardening. So slip on
your gardening gloves, queue up
your
favorite
green-thumbed
playlist, and let's sow the seeds of
our adventure!
Plant once. Eat forever.
I N T R O D U C T I O N
M E W I T H M Y G A R D E N
H E L P E R S / D E S T R O Y E R S
WHAT'S A
PERMA
VEGGIE?
Chapter 1
C H A P T E R 1 : W H A T ' S A P E R M A V E G G I E ?