If you have a garden or the ability to plant after an apocalyptic event or catastrophe then there are some plants you should consider putting in the ground because you can use them like you would commercial produces.
Consider planting Soapwort which is a clumping perennial half of a foot high. The leaves and roots have a cleansing action when chopped up and simmered in water. Two handfuls of crushed plant to three cups of water is usually enough to make a couple of bottles of soap. Store this in a cool place or it will grow bacteria and lose its cleaning abilities.
Believe it or not there are two different kinds of plants that are actually also known as being “toilet paper” plants. These are the Arla bush (Tihonia) which grows 1 to 3 metres high and has white daisy flowers, and Blossom bouquet bush (Dombeya burgessiae). Both plants have large soft leaves that make a nice substitute for toilet paper.
You can also grow Loofahs. These are also known as dish cloth gourds. You have probably seen these sold in stores like the body shop for scrubbing your back. You can eat these gourds which taste like zucchini. However the idea is to let them grow very large and then leave them on the vine to dry until they feel like big sponges. You pick the sponge and clean the seeds out of the inside and the sponge is ready to use to clean anything including dishes, floors or people.
Aloe vera is known as the First Aid plant. When you get a cut, burn or sunburn you simply split a leaf open and apply the gel to your skin to soothe it. Aloe Veras are very hardy and easy to grow.
Comfrey is another useful plant to grow. It can be used as a poultice to relieve pain. You can eat it too as it is a rare source of vegetarian B12. Farmers make fertilizer from comfrey by soaking the leaves in a bin of water and covering them for about three weeks.
You can also try planting what the Greeks call a horta patch. This is a patch of land with all kinds of different lettuces including amaranth, chicory, cress, endive, pursuance, garden cress, kale, lamb’s lettuce, mibuna, mizuna, mustard greens, rocket, spinach, sorrel, tatsoi, and shungiku.
It is also a good idea to keep a stockpile of seeds on hand and also books to do with identifying and eating wild plants and on identifying seeds. This can help you identify plants and theirs seeds so you can grow them in your garden if you have to in the future.