If you thought you had edibles growing in every possible location in your productive garden, have you thought of your pond or backyard water pot or old bathtub? There is a huge array of edible plants that are aquatic and completely delicious.
Kang Kong - Water Spinach
(Ipomea aquatica)
- Grows best in warm temperate, subtropical, and tropical locations. Plant nearly all year round. Not frost tolerant.
- It can be easily grown in moist soil or submerged in water.
- An annual in cooler climates but perennial in warm zones.
- Plant as seeds, cuttings or established plants.
- Stems and leaves are high in iron and can be eaten raw or cooked. Great in salads, sandwiches, stir-fries, soups, pesto.
- The taste is like a sweet spinach.
Water Chestnuts
(Eleocharis dulcis)
- Grow in a full sun position in any reasonable sized vessel that holds water. The reed-like foliage will grow up to 1.5m.
- They are a perennial edible, aquatic sedge food crop that grow over summer.
- Harvest time is when the rush-like foliage dies down in late autumn-winter.
- To mimic the tropical environment that they naturally grow in and replicate the dry northern winters, allow your water vessel to drain or evaporate off as your water chestnut plants die down. Then dig up and harvest the corms. Keep some aside to propagate from.
- Corm preparation: wash and peel off the outer dark brown skin to reveal the crunchy cream flesh before cooking or eating.
Lebanese Cress
(Aethionema cordifolium)
- A low-growing spreading herb with beautiful fern-like foliage that can be grown in moist soil or submerged in water.
- Grow in a semi-shade to sunny position.
- Fast growing and spreads quite a distance if not kept in check. Thin out as you harvest.
- Eat fresh in salads, sandwiches, and soups as a garnish.
- High in iron, vitamin A, B, C, protein, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium.
- The flavour is somewhere between the peppery taste of watercress and celery.
- Super hardy and very easy to grow even for the brownest of thumbs. Should be grown more.
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