Artichokes 2009

I planted this artichoke during the winter. It has grown day by day. These are one of the most interesting plants to grow. The leaves are grey-green and have great texture. As it grows from the inside out, the center gets quite dense and looks like a whirling vortex of leaves. Before you know it, the first flower bud appears at the center of these leaves. The flower of the artichoke is an edible bud. At the early stage the leaves of the artichoke are bright green and tinged with pink on the edges. If left on the plant, it will burst forth as a spikey purple flower like the thistles which grow in the open spaces here in SoCal.

The first year I grew artichokes I thought this had to be a joke. This enormous plant and all you get is one artichoke. I couldn't figure out how farmers could afford to grow these delectable treats. Then the truth was revealed. Suddenly little 'chokes started growing all over the plant. That year, my one artichoke product 12-15 artichokes. Amazing.