Asparagus!

It's suddenly spring on the Palouse!  Actually the weather the last week or so is more summer than spring but we'll take it!  Life is busy, busy in the garden.  Seedling are sprouting, trees are blooming, and flowers are dancing with color.  I love spring the most.

Last spring I planted a small asparagus bed.  I carved out a little nook of the encroaching prairie for 6 plants.  One must be patient to grow asparagus.  There is no harvesting until the plants have been in for an entire year and then one can harvest only for two weeks.  The next year you can harvest for about 4 weeks.  The following year for 6 weeks.  After that you can harvest an entire 8 week season!

See what I mean about being patient?

Anyway, this is the first harvesting year for my tiny patch and look what I picked today!  I'm so excited.  It's not going to be much of a meal but I bet they are going to taste wonderful.

I recently read that 24 mature asparagus plants will yield about 10 pounds of asparagus in a season.  Obviously, at 6 plants, I have under-planted!  I am already making plans to expand the asparagus bed and put in more plants next spring.  We love asparagus around here!