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A vegetable for foundation plantings

One of the best asparagus beds I’ve ever seen was located in a foundation planting. Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis, USDA Hardiness Zones 4–8) likes well-drained, slightly alkaline soil, and houses with concrete foundations can provide these conditions. The eaves keep the soil dry, and the concrete foundation leaches lime to make the soil alkaline. The feathery, fernlike masses of the mature stems made a good backdrop for bedding plants.

Lon Rombough, Salem, OR

From Fine Gardening 5, pp. 6