Much has been written in praise of raised gardening beds—and for good reason! Raised gardening beds offer so much more control than gardening at ground level. First, they allow us to create our own soil mixture based on the needs of whatever we’re growing, wherever we’re growing it. Second, raised gardening beds are less prone to weeds. And finally, raised beds are both attractive and easy on our backs and knees! They are also particularly well suited for the planting of perennials, offering a ‘set it and forget it’ sort of approach to gardening, which is always welcome in the busy, buzzing days of spring and summer.

One of the best things you can plant in a raised gardening bed, then, is asparagus—a perennial you can plant once and enjoy for the next 20 years! I first planted asparagus in a raised gardening bed four years ago, and still cannot believe how much asparagus we get each spring; from late April through early June, we enjoy at least a few stalks of asparagus with every meal.

So if you love asparagus and want to try growing it for yourself, here is how to get started.

Growing asparagus in a raised gardening bed allows us to ensure that the asparagus maintains its own weed-free space, with the exact soil composition it requires for optimal growth. The soil in raised garden beds also warms up more quickly than ground-level dirt, so raised bed asparagus comes up earlier than that which is traditionally grown.

Once you’ve invested in a raised gardening bed, it’s time to prepare it for asparagus. Begin by choosing a sunny location for your raised bed, and then fill it with rich, basic (that is, not acidic) soil.

If you’re starting your asparagus from crown rather than seed, which I highly recommend, then fill your raised gardening bed with an inch of fertilizer or compost and about five inches of soil.

If you’d like to create your own compost for this, invest in a composting system that works! In my house, I always keep a compost pail in my kitchen for food scraps. Then, outside, I have a large, plastic-free composter. As asparagus in particular is a heavy feeder, the richer your compost, the better!

Water, weed and watch.

Once you’ve planted asparagus in your raised gardening bed, you have to do three things: water, weed and watch.

The first one is pretty simple. Asparagus requires regular watering, so be sure to give your bed at least one inch (but no more than two inches) of water each week during the growing season. I like to use a stainless steel garden hose to water my asparagus, but you can also use a watering can.

After watering, what your asparagus will need most is frequent weeding. Because you’re planting your asparagus in a raised gardening bed, there shouldn’t be too many weeds to contend with, but it is still important to keep an eye on any interlopers coming out of the soil. I use a set of Japanese weeding tools to weed around my asparagus and highly suggest investing in a quality set of hand held tools.

The next step is both the easiest and hardest: the wait! Planting your own asparagus is a marathon, not a sprint. This is why it’s important not to harvest asparagus the same spring you plant it! Instead, let the asparagus roots establish themselves. You will reap the benefits of your patience the following spring, when you get to harvest thick, beautiful spears of asparagus for weeks—and then for two decades still to come!

Harvest your asparagus.

One year later, you’ll arrive at the best part of growing your own asparagus in a raised gardening bed: the harvest! Unlike harvesting traditionally grown asparagus, harvesting asparagus from a raised bed is a pain-free dream.

Still, there are some tools you will need to optimize your harvesting experience.

First, invest in an heirloom-quality harvesting knife. A sharp blade will cut cleanly through the woody bases of your asparagus stalks without injuring them. And then you’ll need a harvesting basket to carry all of your asparagus from the garden to your kitchen, where you’ll be able to transform your harvest into a delicious, nutritious meal or side dish. Homegrown asparagus is a star in a springtime frittata; wrap each stalk in a slice of bacon and it also makes for a mouthwatering canape. The culinary options are endless—just as your harvest will be, with just a little care, from now through the next 20 years.

Much has been written in praise of raised gardening beds—and for good reason! Raised gardening beds offer so much more control than gardening at ground level. First, they allow us to create our own soil mixture based on the needs of whatever we’re growing, wherever we’re growing it. Second, raised gardening beds are less prone to weeds. And finally, raised beds are both attractive and easy on our backs and knees! They are also particularly well suited for the planting of perennials, offering a ‘set it and forget it’ sort of approach to gardening, which is always welcome in the busy, buzzing days of spring and summer.

One of the best things you can plant in a raised gardening bed, then, is asparagus—a perennial you can plant once and enjoy for the next 20 years! I first planted asparagus in a raised gardening bed four years ago, and still cannot believe how much asparagus we get each spring; from late April through early June, we enjoy at least a few stalks of asparagus with every meal.

So if you love asparagus and want to try growing it for yourself, here is how to get started.

Growing asparagus in a raised gardening bed allows us to ensure that the asparagus maintains its own weed-free space, with the exact soil composition it requires for optimal growth. The soil in raised garden beds also warms up more quickly than ground-level dirt, so raised bed asparagus comes up earlier than that which is traditionally grown.

Once you’ve invested in a raised gardening bed, it’s time to prepare it for asparagus. Begin by choosing a sunny location for your raised bed, and then fill it with rich, basic (that is, not acidic) soil.

If you’re starting your asparagus from crown rather than seed, which I highly recommend, then fill your raised gardening bed with an inch of fertilizer or compost and about five inches of soil.

If you’d like to create your own compost for this, invest in a composting system that works! In my house, I always keep a compost pail in my kitchen for food scraps. Then, outside, I have a large, plastic-free composter. As asparagus in particular is a heavy feeder, the richer your compost, the better!

Water, weed and watch.

Once you’ve planted asparagus in your raised gardening bed, you have to do three things: water, weed and watch.

The first one is pretty simple. Asparagus requires regular watering, so be sure to give your bed at least one inch (but no more than two inches) of water each week during the growing season. I like to use a stainless steel garden hose to water my asparagus, but you can also use a watering can.

After watering, what your asparagus will need most is frequent weeding. Because you’re planting your asparagus in a raised gardening bed, there shouldn’t be too many weeds to contend with, but it is still important to keep an eye on any interlopers coming out of the soil. I use a set of Japanese weeding tools to weed around my asparagus and highly suggest investing in a quality set of hand held tools.

The next step is both the easiest and hardest: the wait! Planting your own asparagus is a marathon, not a sprint. This is why it’s important not to harvest asparagus the same spring you plant it! Instead, let the asparagus roots establish themselves. You will reap the benefits of your patience the following spring, when you get to harvest thick, beautiful spears of asparagus for weeks—and then for two decades still to come!

Harvest your asparagus.

One year later, you’ll arrive at the best part of growing your own asparagus in a raised gardening bed: the harvest! Unlike harvesting traditionally grown asparagus, harvesting asparagus from a raised bed is a pain-free dream.

Still, there are some tools you will need to optimize your harvesting experience.

First, invest in an heirloom-quality harvesting knife. A sharp blade will cut cleanly through the woody bases of your asparagus stalks without injuring them. And then you’ll need a harvesting basket to carry all of your asparagus from the garden to your kitchen, where you’ll be able to transform your harvest into a delicious, nutritious meal or side dish. Homegrown asparagus is a star in a springtime frittata; wrap each stalk in a slice of bacon and it also makes for a mouthwatering canape. The culinary options are endless—just as your harvest will be, with just a little care, from now through the next 20 years.