Asparagus is up!

The asparagus is poking it’s way through the earth! Usually within a week or so of finding the first spear, we are devising ways to use it – we get a lot at once.  There’s no comparing fresh picked asparagus with what you get in the stores.  My kids even break it off and eat it raw.  I like to grill it, stir fry with garlic – so many ways to enjoy asparagus.  I might try canning or freezing some this year.  It’s hard to believe, but when the weather gets warm, these shoots can grow five to six inches overnight.

 

I spent the last few nights covering spring bulbs with sheets – we’ve had below thirty temps, and even some snow! The violas are starting to pop up though, and even bloom.  The ground is warm enough that we haven’t had frost.  They’ve survived the cold temperatures, in spite of the leaf mulch being removed.  I love these first little harbingers of spring:

A peek inside the cold frame:

These seedlings look much smaller than they really are; I should have sropped something in there for scale. The radishes will be ready to pick soon.  We should have some salad vegetables! The spinach is looking good, carrots, onions and cilantro are also up! It was 30 this morning when I checked the box, but a balmy 60 inside.  I kept a votive burning overnight since we had below-freezing temps.