When fresh asparagus starts to appear on restaurant menus it's always a sign that spring is really here. So imagine how special it will be when you plant your own and the first new shoots of asparagus start breaking through the soil as one of the first vegetables to harvest in spring.
As well as being firmly at the top of our list of extra-special things to eat, asparagus has biodiversity benefits too. It's a long-lived perennial (in zones 3-8) that comes back year after year, and in spring bees love to feed on pollen from the flowers. In addition, the clouds of delicate fern-like foliage add a beautiful ornamental detail to your vegetable garden or container planting.
