May is generally the month I put tomato plants in the garden, probably the most pop mo. in tidewater VA.

Flats look at a feed store that carries a good supply of seed, onion, & potato seed, etc..., and chances are they carry asparagus in the early spring. Think I paid $4.95 for what was 22 or 23 crowns when seperated. (5 yrs ago) They were sold in a loosely bound bundle. If you find em they are sold pre-sexed, they are yearling plants grown from seed and dug up and sexed before resale as starters. The crowns are white and have many tentacles. If you see any red spots on any of the crowns toss em. They are the wrong sex, and will only produce skinny, somewhat woody spears. You will get enuf of that in yur bed after several yrs from natural reseeding, but it is undesireable to plant them as starters beginning a new bed. If you should find too many of em I would point it out and ask for a discount. Or for solid white replacements for them, crown for crown. Most places that sell em dont know about em, just the cost & mark-up part.
Hog Choker and I put in beds at near the same time and are enjoying the rewards.
2 truck farmers I know both said they have attended conferences on growing asparagus and the one thing they preach is phosphate use- plenty of bone meal. I know I can get em here just down the road, or can tell you when theyre in if you strike out down there.
Thanks for the updated thread PanMan.