Unlike most vegetable plants, asparagus is a perennial plant, meaning it will stick around for up to 20 years. You will want to let the plant mature a few seasons before beginning to harvest. A mature plant is bushy with stalks about 4 feet tall and fern-like foliage. When stalks die in the winter, cut them back.

How to Harvest: The plant begins to create new stalks in the spring-time, cut these fresh stalks at their base before they begin to create foliage at their top. You will want to harvest new stalks every day, but cease cutting new stalks toward the end of spring so that they can mature in the summer-time.

How to Prepare: Fresh asparagus stalks are delicious when grilled or baked with lemon juice and olive oil and go great as a side on their own or with a mix of other fresh vegetables.