Next I tackled this--can you tell what it is?

Yes--asparagus! I love perennials, like asparagus and raspberries, that come up whether I've planned ahead or not. And it's especially great when I can grow plenty of something that I'd hesitate to spend lots of money on a little bit of it in a store!

This is only the second year for it, though, so we haven't enjoyed any of it yet. Supposedly this year it's okay to pick a few stalks, but none of these plants look really well-established to me, so I've resisted. (Besides, what would we do with just a few stalks? None of us like it raw.)

I cleared out the biggest weeds and the dead stalks from last year. Now I have a question for the gardeners out there--what do you suggest I do for mulch? We have a big problem with Creeping Charlie all through the garden area. Somehow wood chips don't seem like the right thing. Any ideas?