I bought this endearing little plant about ten years ago. For me this is a truly charming terrarium plant. I adore Goeppertia micans leaves; their foliage may appear to be lovely, but fairly ordinary plain green, narrow leaves, but when you touch this foliage it’s a delightful surprise to discover that these leaves are sumptuously soft! The undersides of every leaf are smooth and silky, they feel like the softest velvet.
Yacon (also known by the botanical name Smallanthus sonchifolius) is a South American vegetable that produces large soft leaves and yellow flowers; it’s the large underground tubers that are formed at the base of the plant, which we harvest during autumn and wintertime. The tubers have an astoundingly firm and crisp texture. When they’re peeled and sliced, yacon tubers are semi transparent and have a very firm composition, at this stage they remind me a little of ice!
Physalis peruviana is a tender, herbaceous perennial plant that produces absolutely delicious tasting orange berries, which are quite exquisitely wrapped in these gorgeous papery lanterns. Also known as Cape Gooseberries, Ground Cherries, or Inca Berries, Physalis peruviana is a lovely plant, with a slightly shrubby habit.
I find that Physalis peruviana plants don’t grow very tall. Physalis peruviana plants eventual height depends on the seed the plant was grown from, as well as the plant’s age, and the overall growing conditions the plant has enjoyed.
Oxalis tuberosa is more commonly known as Oca, in the UK. One of the traditional Inca crops, Oxalis tuberosa is also known as the New Zealand yam; Oxalis tuberosa has many other common names, at least one in each of the countries that grow this vegetable. This is an easy to grow vegetable, that produces small, cream, pink, red, orange, or peach coloured tubers, which have a taste that is somewhat similar to potato, when cooked.
Potatoes can be planted and grown in the soil, but don’t worry, if you don’t have the ground available, you can grow your own successful harvest of potatoes in a container. I have grown potatoes very successfully in various different containers, including an old bin, which worked exceptionally well! Tall containers, like old plastic bins, take up less room and can grow a greater crop than shallower containers like regular garden pots.
