Two weeks ago I planted asparagus.

That means I put the crowns about six inches deep into the earth and covered them up with a couple inches of soil.

Last week, there were new sprouts.

I covered all of them with a couple inches of dirt. Next, they’ll get a bit more dirt and a bunch of mulch.
Over the next two to three years we will weed around and care for the plants. In the second or third year, we might pick a few stalks if they are thick enough. We will let the plants grow until the foliage is dead and we’ll cut that back. We will mulch regularly, watching and controlling for cut worms and other pests. In the third or fourth year, we will harvest the fresh asparagus from the strongly established plants. After that, we will harvest for two to three weeks every year over the next twenty years.
The possibilities for poetry — for metaphors and beautiful language — inspired by asparagus so overwhelmed me that I refuse to even try.