5 “Annual” Vegetables You Only Need to Plant Once – And They’ll Feed You for Life
By Darrell Smith, Owner of DH Garden Centre & DH Landscape Solutions, Vancouver
There’s a beautiful moment in every gardener’s journey — that little spark of realization when you look at your thriving plants and think:
💡 “Wait a minute… I don’t have to plant this again next year?”
It’s a mindset shift. A door opens. Suddenly, you’re not just planting annuals anymore — you’re discovering the quiet magic of self-seeding crops. These are the humble heroes of the garden: technically annuals, but if you treat them right, they’ll behave like perennials, coming back year after year with almost no extra effort from you.
Here at DH Garden Centre in Vancouver, we’ve spent decades helping home gardeners, balcony growers, and edible garden lovers find joy in every season — and we know one of the biggest barriers to growing food at home is the belief that you have to start from scratch every single year. But the truth is, you don’t.
In Vancouver’s unique coastal climate, where one week it’s misty and cool and the next it’s suddenly summer, self-sufficient, low-maintenance plants aren’t just helpful — they’re essential. That’s why I love recommending smart, self-seeding vegetables to our community. These are not just time-savers — they’re mindset-changers. They let you grow more with less.
Over the years of designing edible landscapes across Kitsilano and the greater Vancouver area through DH Landscape Solutions, I’ve discovered a handful of plants that fit this exact bill: annuals that, when allowed to do their thing, will quietly sow themselves and keep on feeding you — year after year.
These aren’t high-maintenance hybrids or short-lived container novelties. These are reliable, delicious, tough plants that once established, become part of your garden’s rhythm. Most of them started in a corner of my yard or in one of our raised beds at the garden centre… and they’re still going strong seasons later.
So if you’re looking for the kind of food garden that gives back, without demanding too much in return — this is for you.
👉 Here are 5 of my favourite self-seeding crops you only need to plant once… and they’ll feed you for life.
Let’s dig in.
1. Cucamelons: The Tiny Fruit That Owns the Fence Line
Imagine biting into a tiny watermelon the size of a grape — but with the crunch of a cucumber and a refreshing citrusy tang. That’s the cucamelon. Also known as Mexican sour gherkins, this heat-loving, vine-style crop is as delightful to grow as it is to eat. And here’s the best part: you may only have to plant it once.
The first time I grew cucamelons, I tucked a single seed into the soil next to a fence in my backyard. By late summer, that one little plant had climbed its way across the entire fence line, producing more fruit than I could possibly keep up with. And then the magic happened: I never had to plant it again.
Cucamelons are incredibly resilient and thrive in Vancouver’s summer conditions. While they’re technically an annual, they behave more like a perennial because they self-seed so reliably. Each season, as a few fruits inevitably fall to the ground and decompose, they release seeds that germinate effortlessly the following spring. Without fail, I now see a few volunteers pop up in the same spot each year — ready to climb, thrive, and fruit again.
What makes cucamelons especially appealing for Vancouver gardeners is their adaptability. They’re highly resistant to common pests and diseases that often affect other vining crops like cucumbers. Powdery mildew? Rarely an issue. Aphids and beetles? Hardly a concern. This makes cucamelons a perfect low-maintenance option for anyone looking to build a garden that practically takes care of itself.
Another advantage is their heat tolerance. While some crops may struggle during Vancouver’s sudden summer heat waves, cucamelons keep going strong. Their vigorous growth means you don’t need many — just one or two plants can provide a steady stream of fruit all season long. In fact, I often have to thin them out to prevent them from overtaking other crops in the garden.
If you’re trying to design a self-sufficient edible garden or build a low-maintenance raised bed system that provides fresh food with minimal effort, cucamelons are a smart, reliable choice. You can grow them up a trellis, along a fence, or even in containers with support — just make sure you give them room to roam.
🍽️ How to enjoy: Eat fresh off the vine, toss into salads, or quick-pickle them for a tangy crunch.
2. Ground Cherries: Nature’s Wrapped Candy
If you’ve never grown ground cherries before, you’re in for a treat. These sweet, golden fruits grow inside papery husks that drop to the ground when ripe — like nature’s little gift bags.
I tucked a few plants in beside my strawberries years ago. Now? Every year, without fail, they pop back up. I call them my “lazy gardener’s harvest.”
Why they’re amazing:
🌱 Self-seeding magic – When you miss a few fruits (and you will), they naturally reseed.
🍬 Unique flavor – Like pineapple and vanilla with a touch of tomato.
🎁 Fun for kids – The husks make them fun to collect and peel.
⚠️ Tip: Don’t go overboard. One or two plants will produce more than enough. Left unchecked, they can start to dominate a small bed.
📍 At DH Garden Centre, we carry several varieties that do well in coastal BC soils — and we’re always happy to recommend the best for your space.
3. Malabar Spinach: A Tropical Twist for Summer Greens
If you’ve ever tried to grow regular spinach through summer in Vancouver, you know the heartbreak: bolting, bitterness, wilting leaves.
Enter: Malabar spinach. Technically not a true spinach, but a heat-loving vining green that gives you lush, edible foliage even when your lettuces have long surrendered to the sun.
What makes it special:
🌿 Beautiful and edible – Glossy red stems, deep green leaves. Often grown as an ornamental.
🔥 Thrives in heat – Loves summer and climbs aggressively.
🌱 Self-seeding – Let it go to seed and you’ll have new plants next spring.
I’ve grown it up trellises, fences, even in containers. It’s packed with vitamins A, C, and E, and while the raw texture can be slightly mucilaginous, it’s excellent in stir fries, soups, or juiced for a refreshing green drink.
💡 Pro tip: Harvest early and often, and always leave one plant to go to seed.
4. Brassicas (Mustard, Arugula, Kale): A Cool-Season Comeback
Brassicas are a wide group, but not all are created equal when it comes to self-seeding. You won’t want cabbage or broccoli to reseed — they need to be harvested before flowering. But leafy varieties like mustard greens, arugula, and even kale? Those are gold.
Here’s what I do in my own garden:
🌱 Grow just one variety of each species at a time to avoid cross-pollination.
🧬 Allow a few plants to flower and drop seeds.
🌧️ Let nature do the rest.
In my raised beds, I let red Russian kale and wasabi mustard go to seed at the end of the season. Next spring — boom. Free greens.
Even better? These leafy brassicas often grow through winter here in Vancouver (especially kale). Give them some mulch, and they’ll soldier on through the cold and flower in spring.
🍽️ Use your volunteers for salads, soups, sautés, or smoothies. They’re nutritious, flavorful, and incredibly forgiving.
5. Lettuce: The Cool Weather Surprise That Keeps Giving
Now, lettuce might surprise you here. Most people yank it out as soon as it bolts in the summer heat. But what if you left a few of those tall, flowering stalks in place?
💡 Lettuce is self-pollinating. That means if you grow heirloom or open-pollinated varieties, the seeds you collect (or let fall) will grow into near-identical plants next time around.
In my garden, I let my spring lettuce bolt and go to seed. By fall — and again in early spring — baby lettuces start popping up exactly where they were.
Why it works in Vancouver:
🌦️ Cool, damp spring and fall = perfect lettuce germination window
💚 You can even grow multiple varieties side by side with little risk of cross-pollination
So don’t compost those bolting heads too quickly — let them flower, seed, and give you one more gift before they go.
Final Thoughts: Changing How We Think About “Annuals”
Here’s what I’ve learned after decades of working with home gardeners in Vancouver:
👉 Annual doesn’t always mean one-time.
👉 Perennial doesn’t always mean forever.
The magic lies in the mindset. Once you start thinking of your garden as an ecosystem — not just a series of tasks — everything changes.
Let nature do the heavy lifting. Let your plants reseed. Let go of the pressure to start from scratch every season. These small shifts will not only save you money and time — they’ll bring your garden to life in new, unexpected ways.
And if you ever need help choosing self-seeding heirlooms, open-pollinated seeds, or healthy starts — come see us at DH Garden Centre in Vancouver. We’re always here to help you grow smart, sustainable, and joyfully.
📍 Visit Us
DH Garden Centre LTD.
3742 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6R 2G4
📞 604-929-7335 | 🌱 www.dhgardencentre.com
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Let’s grow something that lasts.
