Just checked DT Brown site and it says "Despatch: From 14th January 2015" which seems early to me?? Perhaps they contract-out supply of the crowns, or don't want to have to cool-store them.
By the by, I do wonder about companies that ship anything frost-sensitive (like seed potatoes) at this time of the year, unless they "hold" despatch when the weather turns Arctic.
Hmmm ... just checking "Asparagus Crown Selections", because I saw one on my travels on Marshalls site earlier, and that has an evn earlier shipping date of DT Brown's site.
DT Brown : 30 crowns, 10 each of Mondeo (very early), Guelph Millennium (later/very hardy), Pacific Purple (mid season, tender) at £1 each.
Despatch: From 21st October 2014!!
http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/Vegetable-Plants-1/Asparagus-Crowns_2/Asparagus-Crown-Collection.htmlMarshalls : 15 crowns, 5 each of Pacific 2000 (Early April), Ariane (Late April), Millenium (mid May) at £1 each.
Delivered late February/March. Includes free harvesting knife.
http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/long-cropping-asparagus-crowns-collection-pid6926.htmlSuttons : 30 crowns, 10 each of Mondeo (Early), Pacific 2000 (Mid season), Guelph Millennium (Late season) at £1.17
Delivery: APRIL-2015http://www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/Vegetable+Plants/Popular+Vegetable+Plants/Asparagus+Plants/Asparagus+Crowns+-+Continuity+Collection_244785.htmT&M: 20 crowns, 5 each of Ariane (early), Mondeo (early), Pacific 2000, Purple Pacific at £1.50 - £1.12 (two-off).
Despatch: By end of March 2015http://www.thompson-morgan.com/vegetables/all-other-vegetables/asparagus/asparagus-autumn-planting-collection-autumn-planting/aww3478TMBlackmoor : 30 crowns, 10 each of various variety combinations Connover's, Gijnlim, Guelph Millennium, Backlim, Pacific Purple at £1 each.
dispatched between October and May but are best planted April-Mayhttp://www.blackmoor.co.uk/category/205Reads Nursery : No collection, supplied in 3-4L pot with 2 - 3 crowns per pot. Seems a slightly strange way of offering them - presumably have to separate them out in order to plant them, which seems to negate shipping them in pots??
http://www.readsnursery.co.uk/asparagus/