The largest bed on the allotment is mainly given over to perennials. There is a lot to be said for edible perennials- less work! But the key is to establish plants that like the conditions. In the foreground for example is Sage flanked by Greek Oregano (donated from a neighbouring allotment) and Salad Burnet which has self-seeded considerably from one small pot I planted on another bed. Clearly they like the soil which is well drained (i.e. dry) and not rich in humus (poor is the word that springs to mind).

 None the less that seems to suit certain Mediterranean plants very well. Case in point the Sage (Salvia officinalis) was a small specimen my father purchased from a well known supermarket. A year later it's rampant! Adjacent to this bed is the rhubarb patch. Cultivated rhubarb came to us from Asia originally, likes a rich moist soil and is struggling to amount to much in this location. 

 These leeks are not the usual allotment fare. These are Babbington's Leek (Allium ampeloprasum), the wild ancestor of cultivated leeks. They are perennial and grow from a bulb. In the UK their habitat is sandy and stony soil near the coast; they seem to be doing ok at this inland enclave. They are multiplying slowly by offsets from the bulbs but I want to propagate considerably more of them from the copious bulbils on the flower heads before I start eating them.   

 Globe Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) is another plant that's almost too good to eat, an architectural plant worthy of a place in any herbaceous border. Again they arrived in small pots and now stand tall without much in the way of maintenance. Around them there is room for smaller plants like Chives (Allium schoenoprasum).

 The distinctive edible globes are starting to form. But that's a tough call- if left to flower the bright purple topknots are gorgeous. And the biggest, fattest bumblebees love to rummage through them. 

 Garlic Cress (Peltaria alliacea) is another unusual perennial edible. So much so that it's taken me a while to remember what it is I planted there! Several other umbellifers are coming up around it. They look intentional but likewise I'm struggling to think what they are. In case they self-seeded I will need to ID them to make sure they're an edible.
 Anyway, fond as I am of spuds and other annuals there's a lot to be said for plants that keep on giving year after year.