Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the first vegetables that is ready to harvest in the spring and also one of the few perennial vegetables grown in the garden. Since it will be in the same spot for years, it’s important to find a spot where it will have all the growing conditions it needs. Asparagus plants are slow to mature, taking three to five years to really fill in and mature, but it’s worth the wait. Once they start hitting their stride, you will be harvesting asparagus spears for more than a month every spring.

The asparagus spears are straight young shoots of the plant, with scale-like tips. Later in the season, the foliage matures into an airy, light-green, fern-like cloud, which changes to a golden color in the fall. This perennial is typically planted from roots, or crowns, in early spring.