Aren't they beautiful? Asparagus was one of the first veggies i ever started from seed, my dad got me one of those "Punch n' gro" kits when i was maybe 11...they lived for me, and ten years after we moved out of that house, i could still see the fronds sticking up over the fence when i drive by. Asparagus produces really long thick roots, and the deeper they can go the better, so make sure you've got it worked up at least 18" down, and put in as much good well-broken down compost as you can....they're gonna be there a long time!

My mom loves lasagna gardening, but I don't think it will work for me. The clay soil is so CLAY that the grass has roots at least 8" - 10" deep. When we take out the grass, we have sunken gardens we have to fill in with cartloads (like 20-30 each) of soil. Thank goodness, we can cheat and take it out of what was the pasture. Originally, the potager was going to be on a slight slope...not anymore LOL. The good thing is, this soil, mixed with the clay is going to make great garden beds. Old hay, aged manure and lots of clay...did I mention I have the "nephews" out helping every weekend haul dirt? They've been great, but I'm still running out of time to finish one big bed before I pick up my roses this weekend! Once the beds are in, planting is easy. I've got the bed in front of the porch done and the one under two small fruit trees. The two beds against the house for the fairy garden are done and just hauling dirt in the front bed. The two bigger beds in the fairy garden is all that's left to pull out grass...I'm so glad there's no grass in the future potager, or it would have to wait for next year. Once I finish "stealing" the dirt, it's a quick rototill and ready to layout beds :)

CM - Go easy with the additional fertilizer, Instead, consider pruning to remove broken sections and encourage new bud breaks. I learned last year that by allowing my plants to grow full, they grew too full and literally split in half. The farm where I buy my tubers suggested that I top-pinch early to force bud break and provide a more balanced foundation to support the plant's fuller growth later in the season. I posted pictures earlier depicting this process. Frankly, we too often go to fertilizer or water to remedy what is ailing our plants with the result often not being to our liking. Also, using a 1:1 ratio fertilizer will result in a balanced response by the treated plant. Essentially, with none of the three macro's being greater than the other, the resulting growth will be modest, healthy and free of any type of exaggerated response as is often experienced with specialized fertilizer ratio applications.

Gardengal, thanks for comforting me with news that it doesn't take over the garden! I have a David Austin Rose with small but profuse white flowers and it's just occurred to me that it might be a good companion. I get what you mean about the Agastache; it worked well in adjacent containers at least :-). Campanula, I have been growing it in a pot. It was in desperate shape when it arrived, but I was also a little wary of it. Someone gifted me with a small Scrophularia californica that in one season grew into a near giant of a plant. It had very insignificant flowers so I didn't think it was worth the space it took up and when I tried to remove it, I discovered very thuggish roots. They were thick and fleshy and they had scrambled everywhere and were the sort that resprouted vigorously. What is it about the Figwort family that has you wanting to avoid them? mxk3: I hadn't seen it before either, but once having seen it, it's fairly unforgettable as it is quite a stunning plant. Here's a good description of it: Scrophularia auriculata variegata