We have been enjoying fresh asparagus for the last ten days. I made the first pickings on 21st April. When I brought them in Janet said that she had just had a 'phone memory' (one of the unsolicited functions of smart phones) informing her that on this day in 2021 (i.e. 21st April) we picked our first asparagus of the year. The first asparagus to show itself is an old-fashioned variety 'Connovers Colossal'. It produces fat green stems and is very prolific. We also have two modern Dutch hybrids, 'Gijnlim' and 'Backlim'. The latter two produce slightly more refined looking stems but as far as I can tell taste the same. All three varieties have an RHS Award of Garden Merit so are demonstrably reliable. We don't really need three varieties. If I kept to just the one I am more than happy with 'Connovers Colossal'.
The wisteria climbing up the front of the house was in full flower this time last year but this year it is yet to display its glories. If you keep to the slightly involved pruning regime it should produce a good show but once in a while it doesn't quite perform. We'll see in the next couple of weeks.
Today, when out walking with the dog, I heard the first cuckoo of the year. I am not sure how the timing compares with other years but we hear them without fail each year. Their call emanates from the tree-lined boundary and also from the small wood across the road. Its amazing how their call carries. The BBC Suffolk news website recently reported that a satellite-monitored, tagged cuckoo from Bury St Edmunds has clocked up 60,000 miles having completed its sixth migration to and from the Congo basin.
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| Asparagus, 21st April 2022 |
That is amazing looking asparagus. It is a miracle to me that those tiny birds fly so far, and come back again!
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