4' x 8' minimum plot in apple orchard

Mary Washington (male & female, less productive, can collect seed),

Jersey Giant, Jersey Gem

Ten crowns will fit in a 4-by-8-foot bed and are generally enough to supply a family of four. Try to time your purchase so the asparagus crowns can go in the ground without delay. If you have to store the crowns for more than a day or two, place them in a bucket of moist sand in a basement or other cool environment until you are ready to plant. -- http://modernfarmer.com/2015/04/how-to-plant-asparagus/

Asparagus with California poppies as companions here
Asparagus companions/antagonists, flowers (basil, parsley, dill, coneflowers, marigolds)
Crowns shipped March, spears May, June; poppies bloomed June, done a month later