Remember our asparagus patch?
Actually, it’s a bit of a stretch to call it a “patch”, as it’s only a tiny rectangle of dirt the size of a large planter box.
When we first started the garden, our friend the Spice Girl gave us a small asparagus plant. Pete somehow managed to divide it into seven pots, which we planted out the following year in the little garden bed next to the driveway. Last year, they grew into the mass of ferny leaves that you see in the photo above.
We were supposed to let them die back before cutting them down, but they never did. We’ve had the weirdest weather in Sydney – a mild winter, followed by a wet, cool summer, followed by a very warm autumn. All the plants are completely confused. So on Easter Sunday, after looking at the foliage for over a year, we cut it down to the ground.
Exactly one week later, I took these photos:
I couldn’t believe asparagus could grow that fast! The shoot at the bottom of the photo below was as thick as my pinky finger…
It gets better…this is what the bed looked like the next day…
More thick spears were starting to emerge at the other end of the bed…
Asparagus is supposed to grow in spring, so I have no idea why it’s shooting now in the middle of autumn. Pete wants to give the plants a chance to get really well established, so we’re only harvesting the thicker stalks this year.
Day three…I cut the spear in the middle just after this photo was taken…
The ones at the top of the bed had grown a couple of inches overnight…
And here it is – our very first, homegrown asparagus! We washed it, took a photo, and then ate it raw – all within minutes of cutting it…
I have to admit, as asparagus growers, we’ve been flying by the seat of our pants. We really have no idea of what we’re supposed to be doing, or when, but almost magically, the plants seem to be growing brilliantly. Given all the things that won’t grow in our garden (tomatoes, apples, strawberries, just to name a few), we’re overjoyed that these are doing so well!
Edit: Just raced out to take a photo to show you – here’s the patch this morning, three days after the last photo was taken. We’ve eaten half a dozen spears in the interim!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I love it raw- fresh picked!
Perhaps it got confused with your mixed up weather- but whatever the season- Asparagus is something to be quite thankful for!
Heidi, you’re so right! It IS something to be thankful for! Pete has been sauteing the spears in a little butter and lemon juice – just sublime!
My goodness it grows fast! it must taste really good being that fresh. Our favourite way of eating it is steamed but still crisp with butter, parmesan and black pepper, my mouths watering just thinking about it :)
Oooh Sue, that’s a great idea, thank you!
I would just accept your fate and eat the asparagus, regardless of season :)
Yep, we’re just eating them, a few spears every couple of days, as a pre-dinner treat. Life is good. :)
That is so cool! I love the day-by-day photos!!
Abby, thanks for sharing in the excitement with me! :)
How lucky you are to have it out of season, even if it’s only a few stems!
Suelle, in some ways it’s nice to just have a few to eat – I’d hate to get sick of them! As it is, they really feel like a treat!
Criminy, it’s like day of the triffids seeing those grow! :-D
Kavey, you have no idea! I go out every day and they’re inches taller!
I’m dying to try to grow asparagus but I might need a planter to do it because our soil is heavy clay and hard as nails during summer (especially since we’re in the midst of a drought). For now I might have to buy it fresh from the market. At least it’s in season right now!
Misk, they’re so wonderful when they’re in season! I haven’t seen any at the markets yet…
Our season has just started here.
hee hee!!! This is just the funniest post, I love it. We are thinking about squeezing a couple of crowns in somehow, I have them waiting to be planted in the garage. I am much encouraged by your success :)
Joanna, the whole garden is SO confused by this bizarre weather! We have a kohlrabi that thinks it’s a cabbage, asparagus shooting in autumn, and your broccoli which we thought was going to be a cauli, but now looks like being a broccoli again.. :D
You are amazing dear Celia… But this should be so exciting to plant and to wait for them… Thank you, with my love, nia
Thanks Nia! Watching them grow has been a joy!
Blimey – one might think the asparagus was a little… excited… hah. anyway, good on you for growing such incredible asparagus!
Nick, when I went out earlier today, I took this photo of the emerging spears for you. Gives a whole new meaning to the term “morning glory”.. ;-)
Awesome! I didn’t realise that asparagus grew so fast either. Love fresh asparagus! Hope you didn’t eat the one spear all in one go now… ;-) Well done – just goes so show you and Pete have serious green fingers.
:-) Mandy
Mandy, I would love to take credit for this, but honestly, the little patch isn’t even in the main part of the garden, so we’ve kind of ignored it and it’s just gone off by itself. I hope it doesn’t burn itself out!
Wow! That is amazing, Celia. Absolutely amazing! I look forward to further instalments on your asparagus!
Lizzy, such good fun, isn’t it? I love it when something grows almost before our eyes. Maybe I need to plant bamboo.. ;-)
Hi Celia, lovely to see you back! That is very clever to grow your own asparagus. I’ve heard it’s a very tricky vegetable to grow. But it’s an exciting vegetable because it truly can grow before your very eyes. Congrats on your first harvest xx
Charlie, thank you! Is it supposed to be tricky to grow? That would be right – we can’t seem to grow the ones that are supposed to be easy to grow, but the hard ones just grow by themselves.. ;-)
I’m going to chop mine back this morning – how exciting!!
Nic, is that what we’re supposed to do? We really have no idea. I think they’re supposed to be cut back in mid-winter, but it never gets cold enough here in Sydney for them to die back!
How very, very exciting!!! I think it must be totoally confused with the weather indeed- but who’s complaining!
My little plants are still heaps of ferny bushiness, but last spring they sent up heaps of teensy tiny thin spears so I hope for big things next year.
Hope you’re feeling better for your break Sweetie x
Becca, thank you! Last year the ferns were filled with tiny skinny spears, so maybe next year you’ll get fat ones like we have this year!
Wow Celia, wow! I can’t believe they grow so fast. It must have been very exciting to see! That one in the middle was like the Jack and the Bean stalk of asparagus. Well done!
Claire, it’s bizarre how fast they’re growing! We’ve had two solid days of rain, and the sun has just come out today, and they’ve gotten all tall and spindly. I posted another photo today at the bottom of the original post, and that middle spear has now grown so tall that it can’t fit in the frame!
Wow – they’re a bit like triffids, aren’t they? Just as well you eat them, rather than the other way around. ;-)
Amanda, Pete says they’re growing like that because they’re actually a grass. But yep, they are very triffid like – lucky they can’t move…yet.. ;-)
Cool what a pleasant surprise and just think all us American bloggers are posting asparagus recipes like crazy right now.
Greg, I doubt we’ll get enough to make dishes with, we’re just eating them sauteed in a little butter, two or three at a time.. :)
Congratulations! It must be difficult to resist eating them all!
Thanks Christine! Pete says we absolutely mustn’t eat them all, because he wants the plants to have the best chance possible to get really healthy. We figured out this is their third year!
Nice to have you back C xx
You’ve inspired me to put an asparagus patch in the front garden, I want what you’ve got!
Wendy, I’ll show you when you come over, it really is the smallest little bed, next to the carport!
The joy and excitement of gardening is to watch the progress on a daily basis. I can feel the joy and excitement in your writing about your asparagus.
Norma, it has been really exciting! :)
That is really quite amazing. I think the one little plant has turned into 50 by now, going by the number of spears. Seriously green thumbs in your family – well done!
Thanks for the original plant, SG! I don’t know about the green thumbs – there’s so many other things that won’t grow. I think we just run into some plants that seem to really be suited to the microclime of our backyard!
It’s really quite remarkable how fast that’s grown!! I think it’s growing in your autumn because it’s Canadian Asparagus and it’s spring here;) I bet this is so delicious!!
Smidge, no idea what’s going on, but they’re shooting like weeds now, getting taller and taller every day! :) And yes, the few we’ve eaten have been delicious!
Oh dear they are confused. I imagine you will only take a little as they need that fern to feed the crown.. I often leave the fern on and cut it mid winter, when it is really cold. in fact i mow it! yours are looking really good for such young plants. Well done.. c
Celi, do they usually grow back so quickly? We’re only harvesting the fat ones this year, all the rest will be allowed to grow up and get all leafy. That means only have two or three spears every other day, but it’s still sheer joy. The ferns didn’t die back at all, for nearly two years, they just kept growing and growing until we got sick of them. Really, we have no idea what we’re doing.. :)
Triffid asparagus Celia :-)
Indeed, B. Still can’t get over how fast they’re growing!
Wow, the grow amazingly fast!
Tandy, like weeds! Yesterday we tied them back so they wouldn’t sprawl all over the driveway and get under the car wheels..
a small ps, you are just an incredibly sophisticated grower :D I was looking at the site of our local asparagus grower just now – they are taking asparagus right into the autumn. We are eating their spring spears now
http://www.cobrey.co.uk/autumn%20asparagus.html
Ha! Yes, we’re cutting edge through sheer random ignorance.. ;-)
I just showed Peter and his words were ‘They’re a grass, aren’t they’. We are both amazed! LOL to growing bamboo! Would that your cucumbers grow this well next season, Celia!
Lizzy, that is a wonderful wish to give me, thank you. Could you wish it for my zucchinis too, please? :)
Goodness Celia, this is amazing. Your asparagus is obviously very keen on weird weather and inexperienced (read green fingered) gardeners. We’ve had ours two years now and we are only getting some very thin and spindly shoots – certainly not anything we can cut. Bet they tasted good.
Choc, we think the plants must now be at least three years old, which is why we’re suddenly getting rude fat spears. ;-) Last year they were like yours, thin and spindly and fluffy..
The asparagus diaries – reflections of a stalker!
Hahaha…Cosmo, you spear me.. ;-)
Lol at the comment above!
It’s good to see you back Celia dear, I hope you had a good break.
A local greengrocer had a huge handwritten sign “Garden Fresh Asparagus” and down the bottom “Produce of Mexico”!!! Yours really is garden fresh … in autumn too!
Thanks Rose! I suspect we’ll be counting the actual spears we eat on our hands and toes – Pete won’t let me touch most of them! ;-)
They look bizzare……just looks like you’ve stuck them in there. How fantastic. So much!!
http://www.mykitchenstories.com.au
Tania, I know! Thanks for being excited with me – I was beside myself when they started growing! :D
Although I’ve never commented before I’ll take this opportunity to say hi and that I’m glad you have asparagus growing! I adore asparagus :) Happy eating!
Lauren, thanks for stopping by! I’ve always liked asparagus, but now that I’ve tasted our homegrown ones, I adore it too! :D
How incredibly exciting. I love mine steamed with loads of butter and black pepper or Hollandaise. Adored reading this diary entry.
Sally, the joy of this blog is all my like-minded equally mad friends. Thank you for understanding how excited I was by this! :) xx
Happy to be thought of as like-minded and equally mad!
You & Pete have magic fingers Celia …. bet they taste soooo good. Hope you had a great break & time to recop, glad to see you back. x
Thanks Suz! They were delicious! :)
Wow! Frankly I have never seen asparagus grow before..so this is so exciting :)
Tes, thank you! It really is! Some of the shoots have already started getting leafy!
fancy growing asparagus..you’re legends..x
Thank you, but it’s growing by itself! :)
our weather is completely upside down too. We are still having frosts and it is mid-April! we had asparagus last night – gently pan fried in a bit of butter and then followed a Ducasse trick of finely chopping up one spear raw and sprinkling it over the cooked asparagus at the end. Wish I had it growing in the garden!
Oooh, that sounds like an interesting idea, asparagus with asparagus sprinkles! :)
Wow you are so lucky to have asparagus growing in your garden. It looks very happy there. I tried growing it from some seeds I bought for $2 at an Asian supermarket. Did not work. Do you know where one can buy a root stock/plant?
Ours was a gift in a pot – I believe our friend bought it at either the markets or a nursery. I think it’s very hard to grow from seed!
This is way too cool…mine are always uniform from the market….
We had five spears last night at dinner – Pete sauteed them in butter and finished them with a squeeze of lime. It was absolutely delicious!
Great post! I have just started an asparagus bed and am delighted that I have managed to produce a few tiny spears. I hope to reach your level of production soon!
Thank you! We really have just a tiny bed though – only seven crowns growing. Still, we were able to harvest a couple of dozen delicious fat spears this year! :)