A plant nerd is questioning why millions of Australians buy expensive vegetable crops when planting perennial Asian greens as garden ground covers can create endless supply of free food in tropical and subtropical regions.
With iceberg lettuce, zucchinis, broccoli, snow peas, and beans, record grocery prices have been predicted to get worse, as a result of floods, fuel, and fertiliser costs.
The boutique nursery owner Kevin Redd said people who live along the coastline, in the tropics or subtropics, should never be reliant on commercially grown crops.
He has three examples of delicious leafy greens with a 'wow' factor that are commonly grown overseas but typically overlooked in Australia.
A lot of people have a forgotten little corner of their garden and they've got nothing there and they're paying $10 for an iceberg lettuce. The first of the planting suggestions by Dr Redd is Gynura procumbens, often called longevity spinach or Sambung Nyawa.
The versatile edible creeping ground cover is considered an anti-inflammatory food and thrives in warm, moist conditions.
Its leaves can be used raw in salads or cooked, and new plants grow easily from cuttings.
Dr Redd, who has a PhD in molecular ecology, a research background in plant biochemistry and once ran an adventurous catering business in Tasmania, is passionate about educating Australians about alternative edible plants.
Dr Redd revealed the second of his picks for everlasting vegetables, the betel leaf plant, under a patch of bamboo in his jungle-like backyard.
The evergreen perennial creeper's shiny heart-shaped leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked. The plant is a relative of pepper and kava.
Dr Redd says the betel leaf loves shade and tastes great in stir-fries and even as a wrap for mince that's cooked on the barbecue.
Matt Golinski, noosa chef, uses betel leaf as a gluten-free base for canaps.
I grow them myself, and they grow very easily, so they're free, which is a bonus. He said betel leaf plants shouldn't be confused with the stimulant drug, betel nut, which comes from areca palms and stains mouths red.
Dr. Redd's favourite of the three easy-growing greens is Okinawa spinach, a pretty creeper, also known as Hong tsoi or cholesterol spinach.
The hardy low-maintenance perennial leaf vegetable grows in full sun and partial shade, but is sensitive to frost like the other two of his recommendations.
The leaves and young shoot tips can be steamed easily, and are often used as last minute additions to stir-fries, stews and soups. They are best not overcooked.
They absolutely love it. Seeds of all three plants can be sourced online, but grow quickly from cuttings.
A lot of them are not very easy to get and that's how I started my collection, from hippies, markets, Asian people and collectors.
Dr Redd will be a guest speaker at the Queensland Garden Expo, which is expected to draw 40,000 visitors between July 8 and 10 at Nambour showground.
In the last five years, event coordinator Marion Beazley said she had seen a rise in interest from younger families looking to grow sustainable spray-free food.
There is a bigger picture of environmental awareness; people are focused on food miles and the health benefits of growing their own food.