Choke on This!

My artichoke patch is looking rather marvelous....to me anyway! I planted these seedlings last summer and was very disappointed that nothing happened....but a big patch of green leaves. Now the patch looks absolutely beautiful, especially in the early morning hours when the sunlight hits the leaves and they shimmer with silvery dew on each stem. I'm so excited!
Now the flowering plant is maturing into a nice globe artichoke. They are one of Ali's favorite vegetables. I did some research and found that they are actually one of the world's oldest medicinal plants. The ancient Egyptians placed great value on the plant and in Europe, the artichoke was favored as a food by royalty. The globe artichoke has a long history as a diuretic, an aid to digestion, and a good way to lower blood sugar.

I don't believe Utah is their favorite place to grow, but the experience has been fun and spine tingling.....! The spike little things, probably related to thistles! However, they add very unique foliage to the garden and take up lots of space where weeds would want to be growing. I sure hope after we pick this "One" and only "One" artichoke it will be as tasty as it looks. If not, we'll just enjoy the 3 or 4 feet of beautiful green foliage.