"Cat(h)" wrote in message
ups.com...

Des Higgins wrote:
"Cat(h)" wrote in message
oups.com...

Des Higgins wrote:
My wife will do potatoes (like desiree and might try maris piper this
year);
she does the digging and likes doing it.
and we will probably do tomatoes in the greenhouse (sungold plus one
other).
My wish list for this year is headed by pumpkins. Last year I ended
up
growing one plant by accident (meant to do more) and got 2 pumpkins
and
they
were a revelation. This year I want to grow 3 or 4 plants.
I am also a glutton for fashion whims and now want globe artichokes
after
seeing that Carol Klein digging up muddy handfuls and making chips.

Jerusalem artichokes are yummy - never mind fashion and flatulence. If
you find a supplier in the Dublin area, let me know!

Otherwise, every year, I promise I will start Asparagus and never do.

If you do, do a better job than I have, complete with dead donkey at
bottom of abyssal trench.

How many plants did you do; how long ago did you plant them and what
variety?

I planted four crowns about 2 1/2 years ago. I dug a big trench, and
put lots of manure and compost - no deceased animals because I had none
to hand, and the neighbour's cats run too fast when they see me. I
can't remember the variety: I bought them in pots from that garden
centre on the side of the N8 in Kilcoran near Cahir (worth stopping at,
by the way), I am not even sure they were labelled! The crowns were
fairly smallish when I planted them.

Is it worth a shot?

I sure hope so, but so far all I have had to show for my efforts was
one spear I could not resist (eaten raw last spring after a quick run
under the tap) and nice fluffy fronds. I could not harvest it because
it was too young. This winter, I have cut down the fronds and mulshed
over the top. I suspect I should re-do the whole thing and relocated
them more judiciously, though, because I lost one of them or at least I
think I did, due to trampling.
I live in hope to get a few spears this coming spring. Not sure
whether 3/4 plants is enough for me, but I'll soon find out.

Cat(h)

I've never grown asparagus but I saw some fantastic very tall ferny stuff
last summer in a neighbours garden. I want to grow it just for the foliage.
Is the foliage normally 5 feet tall.? I got some of the orange seed so it's
worth a go.