April 8

Early asparagus is nearly ready, and it is evident from the prices in the store how much it has come into season. Just a few weeks ago, a bunch of asparagus cost four times what it does today. Such will be the case with strawberries soon.

It’s a strange looking plant, and I remember we had one growing wild in the middle of the backyard when we first bought the house. That first spring I looked out the back porch window and remember seeing the oddest growing thing in the yard – it had the shape of a miniature hemlock tree, all lime green with filamentous branches of tiny endings. I recall it being a couple of feet tall at that point, and it was past the immature stage when the shoots are tender for eating.

Asparagus grows best in sandy soils and should ideally be picked before the main shoot bolts The sandy texture often comes through with store bought plants, because no matter how well you was them, it’s nearly impossible to remove all the sand. This is why so often the asparagus will have the gritty feel.