Last summer I planted some asparagus seed along the fence that cordons off The Secret Garden. While I’ve never attempted to grow them, I was already aware that I would not see asparagus that season. But the lacy, fern-like foliage made a beautiful display for the backyard recreational area.
With winter upon us, I’ve mostly ignored that area of my property while the asparagus greenery faded and slowly turned brittle and brown.
Meanwhile, I planted a few things in the tiered garden and they have come along quite nicely. Arugula, with its nutty-tasting leaves, has persevered through the coldest of days. And my coriander, oregano, and rosemary are holding their own.
I read that sugar snap peas were fairly impartial to winter weather so I popped a few seeds into a pot on the back stoop. These I planted on January 17th and by the 30th, I could make out a couple of green leaves attempting to breach the surface of the soil.
They are now green, and happily reaching toward the sun. Progress is slow with the bitter cold we’ve had, but the young sprouts are hanging in there, and what a nice surprise.
But nothing as delightful as my discovery last week. We had a few warm days and so I headed for the neglected gardens. We pruned our pear trees, set out daffodil bulbs, and tidied up a bit.
Then I grabbed a pair of secateurs and began clipping away at the spent asparagus greenery. Low and behold, hidden under the dried fronds were harvest-ready stalks of asparagus. What an unexpected little piece of light and goodness in what has been the darkest winter I’ve ever known.
It’s comforting to know that Spring is just a little more than a month away. But better to know I can still throw myself into gardening, even in the dead of winter. And if the weather or your property doesn’t permit gardening, there is much joy to be “sown” from planting seeds or messing with houseplants. I’ve got tomato and peppers seeds started in trays with plans for other varieties to be planted soon.
I steamed the asparagus to go with our Valentine’s Day dinner, no doubt the freshest asparagus I’ve ever had the good fortune to consume and definitely the tastiest!