Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Asparagus

Asparagus is a great vegetable for the home gardener. Fresh asparagus is a springtime treat that simply can't be beat. Canned asparagus is a pale shadow of the real thing - if you've never tried fresh asparagus I urge you to do so at the earliest opportunity. Today would be good! You can find recipes here: Allrecipes.com - asparagus

Of course, being self-sufficient types, we have tried growing asparagus here at Clay Hill. And I confess that I've had yet another lesson in patience - somebody is really trying to get that message across, aren't they? Because I gave up on the asparagus this year, and covered it with an herb bed. And the herbs are happy and growing beautifully, and guess what I noticed when I checked on them this afternoon? Yep - asparagus spears, growing up through the soil. I should have given them a couple of more weeks.

So, what am I going to do about it? At the moment, I think I'm going to leave it be and see how the two coexist. The soil is certainly fertile enough to support both, because it's heavily enhanced with our own compost. The asparagus ferns shouldn't be thick enough to shade the herbs too heavily, and the herbs die back in the winter and start coming into their own after asparagus comes up, so this might turn into one of those happy accidents that works out well. Even if it doesn't, though, I think we'll put in more asparagus in the fall. We eat a lot of asparagus in the spring, and if we have too much I'm sure my coworkers won't mind a gift of fresh asparagus along with their eggs!

In school-related news, I finished a semester today - that means I am down to one full semester before I finish. Needless to say, that news calls for a bottle of wine with dinner. Have a great week, everybody, and remember to eat your asparagus!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's great news about school!

That's funny about the asparagus coming up with the herbs - sometimes the unplanned turns out to be great!

Enjoy your dinner tonight Terri.

Susie said...

I love asparagus but have never grown it. I always thought it was difficult.

Congrats on another semester down! Yeehaw!!!

Heidi D said...

I was going to try asparagus in the garden this year, then I read it takes three years till harvest. :) I have been taught patients these last 6 months, but that's just nuts.

Glad you're getting some good stuff. I'll just settle for the stuff at the grocery store. Not too bad. We have large farms around Washington and the stores like to buy from them.

Anna said...

I love Asparagus and I'm waiting impatiently for mine to start growing. We just got over the really cold and are headed for nicer days a head.

Debbie said...

We love fresh asparagus and really lucked out when we moved. There is already an established patch! I picked four pounds of the stuff last Sunday! Its spreading outside of its original patch and DH hates that I won't let him mow too close to it. I want every spear I can get! *laughing*

Debbie

Terri said...

Mildred, I hope that's the case here!

Susie, it's actually pretty easy - I simply planted mine and ignored it, and this is year two.

Heidi, you're lucky to have a good local source!

Anna, I'm sending warm thoughts your way!

Debbie, you are a lucky woman! :) I wouldn't let him mow either!

Terri

Wolfie said...

Woooo hoooo .... you go girl!!!

Great news about school!!

Keep up the good work. (((HUGS)))

WOLFIE

ikkinlala said...

I'm guessing your asparagus will be fine - our asparagus patch has been covered with quack grass for years now (no matter how much weeding we do), and the asparagus always seems to come through it.

Connie said...

Hurray for finishing a semester! :D

Figures the asparagus would poke their heads out after you give up on them. HA!

Hope you enjoy them!

Have a great weekend!

Julia said...

Yeah!!! Congrats on finishing for now. And we get lots and lots of asparagus here. There are great farms in the Delta region of California. We are lucky that way! I hope you experiment works out since fresh is best. :)