Bulbs, rhizomes and tubers

The Jerusalem artichoke ( Helianthus tuberosus ), a hardy relative of the sunflower, originated in North America, where its tubers nourished Indigenous peoples long before its arrival in Europe. The Red Spindle variety is distinguished by its elongated, reddish-skinned tubers, which are more uniform than those of wild types, making it a valued companion in edible gardens.

In favorable soil, its tall, upright, leafy stems form a living screen that accompanies the entire cycle of seasons. Its late flowering, with small yellow flower heads reminiscent of miniature sunflowers, brings a touch of brightness to the garden in late summer. Underground, the tubers develop patiently and, in autumn, offer a generous harvest for cooking, while also allowing the gardener the freedom to leave some for the following season.

Hardy and adaptable, the Red Spindle variety integrates naturally into a harmonious garden, where simplicity of care is valued as much as rich soil and biodiversity. It is a reliable plant, ideal for establishing a respectful and long-term approach to gardening.

Native to North America, the Jerusalem artichoke ( Helianthus tuberosus ) first became a staple food for Indigenous peoples before being introduced to European gardens. The 'White Ordinary' variety, with its pale tubers, perpetuates this long-standing presence in our gardens.

In the garden, it forms tall, upright stems with ample green foliage, reminiscent of a small field of wild sunflowers. In late summer, its yellow flowers brighten the corner of the vegetable garden and attract a host of pollinators. Beneath this airy presence lies a veritable reservoir of life: fleshy, irregular tubers, harvested in autumn and early winter, which contribute to the garden's cycle by nourishing both the soil and the table.

It is a reliable, hardy plant that returns year after year where the soil is welcoming. It naturally finds its place in a harmonious garden, in the background of cultivated beds, like a living, edible hedge that one learns to guide rather than completely control.

Native to Eastern Europe and Western Asia, horseradish ( Armoracia rusticana ) has long been a staple in peasant kitchens and herb gardens. This tall perennial, belonging to the Brassicaceae family, develops a fleshy, deeply rooted rhizome from which long, green, veined leaves emerge each year, quickly establishing a prominent presence in the garden's edible corner.

In the organic garden, horseradish establishes itself as a reliable plant: once well-established in welcoming soil, it faithfully returns season after season. Its small white flowers, clustered in delicate panicles, add a subtle touch to the garden's cycle and attract various insects. Its pungent and aromatic root finds its place in the kitchen as a living condiment, linking the age-old practice of autumn harvesting to the everyday pleasures of a simple and flavorful meal.

Known as the potato onion, this traditional group of onions forms clumps of bulbs, somewhat like a nest of small potatoes at the base of the foliage. Long cultivated in family vegetable gardens in cooler climates, it has maintained a reputation as a reliable plant, easy to maintain and replant year after year.

In the garden, the potato onion offers hollow, bluish-green foliage reminiscent of the common onion. The bulbs divide into several cloves that are replanted, in an almost circular process where the harvest nourishes the next cycle. It naturally finds its place in a vibrant and diverse garden, along the edge of a bed or in a quiet corner of the vegetable patch, where it accompanies other vegetables in a patient and deeply rooted relationship with nature.

Passed down from generation to generation, the Sainte-Anne shallot is a prolific perennial deeply rooted in Quebec's horticultural heritage. Cultivated for over 70 years in Sainte-Aurélie, in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, it is distinguished by its hardiness and its ability to return year after year, faithfully following the seasons.

Traditionally planted around July 26th, Saint Anne's Day, it embodies a living link between collective memory and farming practices. Each bulb buried in suitable soil can produce up to ten offshoots the following season, forming upright and vigorous clumps that require little but yield much. Not invasive, it encourages patient and rhythmic cultivation, where the annual division of the bulbs ensures vitality and abundance.

In a supportive vegetable garden, it naturally settles in quiet corners, in the shade of attentive gestures, highlighting the continuity of an inhabited garden.

Native to East Asia, the Japanese artichoke ( Stachys affinis ) has long been a refined vegetable in cottage gardens and gourmet vegetable patches. Its small, pearly tubers, arranged in a string, are hidden beneath tender green foliage reminiscent of other members of the mint family.

In a thriving garden, the crosne settles in like a quiet companion: it grows unobtrusively, forming low clumps that gently occupy a sunny corner of the vegetable patch. As the seasons change, its foliage blossoms, then dries out in autumn to make way for harvesting, an almost ancestral gesture that connects the gardener to the life of the soil.

Its benevolent presence contributes to a diverse nourishing space: it is a plant of trust, which returns year after year when a few tubers are left in place and its development is supported in a respectful cultivation approach.

Saffron, derived from the crocus (Crocus sativus ), is an ancient bulbous plant cultivated for millennia around the Mediterranean basin for its orange-red stigmas, one of the world's most sought-after spices. In an organic garden, each planted corm is a quiet promise: that of small mauve flowers that appear while the vegetable garden goes dormant.

Throughout the cycle of the seasons, saffron accompanies the gardener in a patient and respectful approach: planting in late summer, autumn flowering, winter foliage that nourishes the corm, and a dry summer rest. Its presence is well-suited to well-drained soil, a sunny spot, and a relationship with nature where one observes and guides rather than forces. The harvesting of the stigmas, a meticulous and almost ceremonial act, lends a distinctive fragrance to the garden in autumn.

Long present in country gardens, common comfrey establishes itself as a faithful companion in edible spaces. Its broad, rough foliage quickly forms a dense clump that covers the ground, while its arching flower stalks are adorned with small, bell-shaped clusters, which are appreciated by insects.

Hardy and tenacious, this perennial thrives in deep, cool soils where it develops strong roots. In a garden in harmony with the seasons, it offers a welcoming presence: it is primarily cultivated for its uses in organic gardening (green mulch, homemade fertilizer) and certain traditional purposes. It naturally finds its place in a quiet corner of the garden or in the orchard, where it discreetly complements the work of the attentive gardener.

Native to the wetlands of North America, Apios americana , often called string bead or tuberous wisteria, weaves its supple stems through the vegetation, as if recalling the ancient bonds between people and their food plants. Its tubers form along underground stolons, in more or less spaced strings, and constitute a valuable energy reserve for burrowing fauna and, where it is known, for curious gardeners.

This climbing perennial from the Fabaceae family thrives in moist to wet soils and in sunny to partially shaded locations. Its reddish-brown to purple flowers, arranged in dense clusters, bring a discreet yet distinctive presence to the heart of the living garden. Far removed from rushed cultivation, Apios establishes itself deeply and requires time: it readily integrates into a perennial, nourishing space, where the slow development of its tubers can be observed over the seasons.

Duganski garlic is an old variety of autumn garlic with purplish skin, prized for its hardiness and ability to withstand cold winters. Like all cultivated garlic, it descends from Allium sativum , which has long been used in traditional methods of preserving and growing vegetables in kitchen gardens.

In the garden, Duganski produces brightly colored heads, enveloped in white and purple husks. Planted in the autumn in welcoming, well-drained soil, it remains dormant throughout the cold season before emerging in spring with upright leaves. Its regular presence throughout the seasons makes it a reliable plant in a harmonious garden, easy to integrate into a respectful and diverse gardening approach.