Asparagus belongs to the lily family and it was the Romans and Greeks who first started to cultivate the wild coastal plant more than 2000 years ago.
Asparagus is best eaten when fresh and it is an expensive vegetable to buy, making it a valuable and worthwhile crop to grow in the garden.
It is a long living perennial and the same plant will be happy producing tender and juicy spears for up to 20 years!
The tall fern like foliage adds an interesting and decorative feature to the garden over the summer months.
Asparagus is an easy and rewarding vegetable to grow if the soil is kept free of perennial weeds and the plants are given plenty of room to grow.