Plant library
Growing guides checked by local gardeners, with planting times worked out from 30 years of climate data.
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Asparagus
VegetableA long-lived perennial that gives tender spears every spring for 15 to 20 years once established. Plant crowns in a deep, weed-free bed enriched with compost in winter. The key is patience: don't harvest in the first year, pick lightly in the second, then fully from year three.Globe artichoke
VegetableA big, silver-leaved perennial that crops for about four years and suits Adelaide's Mediterranean climate well. Plant suckers or named plants in late autumn to winter, and pick the buds in spring. Its spiny wild relative is a declared weed in SA, so cut buds before they flower and go to seed.Rhubarb
VegetableA long-lived perennial grown for its tart stalks, planted as crowns in winter or from seedlings in spring. It needs rich soil, plenty of water in summer and some afternoon shade in hot Adelaide weather. Only the stalks are edible: the leaves are toxic.Spring onion
VegetableA quick, easy onion grown for green stems rather than bulbs, ready in 8 to 10 weeks. Sow little and often almost all year in Adelaide. Bunching (Welsh) types can be cut again and again or left to form clumps.Taro
VegetableA tropical root crop with huge heart-shaped leaves, grown for its starchy corms. It needs a long, warm, frost-free season and lots of water, so it suits the tropics and subtropics best. Plant in spring in cooler areas. Every part is toxic raw: always cook corms and leaves well.