My First Artichokes!

 Last year I took a chance and planted some Artichokes, even though all I had read made it sound like they were a hard thing to grow. The plants grew huge and I wondered what all the fuss was about, but than died off in the hottest part of the summer. I thought they were doomed but I decided to keep them to see what would happen. As it began to get cooler, signs of life were beginning to show again but only about two thirds of the plants came back and I wondered if they just liked the cool weather. Well, they like the cool but not the cold, they all died back again and no sign of life all winter long.
 As the weather began to get warmer late in the winter, again, signs of life began to show, though the winter had taken its toll and now I was down to about half of what I started with. It's amazing how big these plants get in just a short time, and they began to get huge again.
 Just the other day I was out in the garden with a friend and I was showing her the artichoke plants and she pointed to an Artichoke and actually saw the first one before I did. I searched the plants and found a total of five so far!
 I am leaving that first and largest one on the plant because I am so curious to see what the flowers look like but I picked my first two today and I cant wait to eat them!
Peace

Follow up:  I have gotten about 12 Artichokes so far. They are on the small side and don't have much meat on the "leaves" but the hearts are delicious. Hoping that next year they will be bigger. The first and largest one that I left on the plant to flower has finished blooming and will be going to seed soon. Hoping for alot of seeds to plant more for next year. Looks like Artichokes can become my next plant obsession!

Starting to open

In full bloom