With the arrival of Spring, our gardens are starting to bloom with the most spectacular array of colour and vibrancy, and we welcome a new selection of fresh organic produce that is ready to harvest.

These incredible blue skies and warmer temperatures deliver glorious days in the Gaia gardens…inviting guests to wonder in their curiosity and learn a little more about what we have growing.

This month I thought I’d share a few tips about asparagus. We have established three full rows of asparagus crowns in our production gardens on the bottom part of the property. They’re in their fourth year now, and we are starting to see larger harvests coming in…very much to our chef’s delight!

Asparagus is a perennial crop in the lily family. During winter, the fern or foliage has died back and there is an underground crown, which is the storehouse for the plant. It remains dormant underground safe from any frosts or snow. The spears emerge from their dormancy period when the soil warms up in Spring time. During the winter months we are looking to manage any invading weed species, and compost the beds. Cow and sheep manure is a great addition at this time too.

Spring and the emergence of our first asparagus is always a celebration in the kitchen, as the chefs are eager to dive into their spring menus. We made the conscious decision some years back to restrict our use of asparagus to the Australian season, which makes it all the more exciting!!

With food+love

Cam
Gaia’s Boutique Organic Farmer