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An Artichoke Among the Sages

comments (6) March 8th, 2009 in Gallery

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ShirleyBovshow ShirleyBovshow, member
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My Mediterranean garden with olive tree, dwarf pomegranate, sages, Vitex  and succulents   Artichokes can grow from 4 to 5 feet tall and just as wide, so the new home for this perennial had to accommodate its mature size, The spot had to be in full sun and in well draining soil. Artichokes dont do well when they have to swim to survive. These are sun plants...think Italian Tuscan sun.
This bare area in my garden looks like the perfect spot for my artichoke.   Ive had a bare spot in my hummingbird garden for a while. I was thinking of planting a silver ornamental plant there. I considered an artemisia, convolvulus, or santolina, but when I thought about the artichokes silver foliage and ability to feed me, the former plants simply could not compete!
Look at that beautiful baby artichoke plant! Im so proud of it.   I prepared the planting hole by adding organic compost and set the artichoke with the crown slightly above the soil surface to discourage rotting. Cold climate gardeners can still enjoy this sun plant as an annual potted plant and shelter it indoors through the winter. Care during the growing season is not intensive, artichokes just need a little side dressing of nitrogen about once a month.   In about 110 days, I should have some edible globes to salivate over, (though artichokes usually wont reward you with globes until the second season). Ill keep my eyes peeled for pests, and enjoy the look of the attractive foliage among the sages in the mean time.
Ill also keep an eye out for my dog, Whiggy who insists on helping me side dress  plants with urea. Hes too cute to call a pest!
My Mediterranean garden with olive tree, dwarf pomegranate, sages, Vitex  and succulents   Artichokes can grow from 4 to 5 feet tall and just as wide, so the new home for this perennial had to accommodate its mature size, The spot had to be in full sun and in well draining soil. Artichokes dont do well when they have to swim to survive. These are sun plants...think Italian Tuscan sun. Click To Enlarge

My Mediterranean garden with olive tree, dwarf pomegranate, sages, Vitex  and succulents

 

Artichokes can grow from 4 to 5 feet tall and just as wide, so the new home for this perennial had to accommodate its mature size, The spot had to be in full sun and in well draining soil. Artichokes don't do well when they have to "swim" to survive. These are sun plants...think "Italian Tuscan sun."


Photo: Shirley Bovshow "EdenMaker"
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I enjoyed an artichoke recently that was so delicious and "meaty" that I couldn't stop thinking about it for a few days. It was grilled and I had it sans dip but I was fantasizing about a dressing I can make at home from the Meyer lemons in my garden, some olive oil, garlic and a sprig of tarragon.

I'm like that. I can be obsessive about food, especially the kind I can grow at home. 

Fortunately, my zone 10 garden in Los Angeles is ideal for growing artichokes and right now is the perfect time to put out transplants in the garden. We are experiencing cool evenings and daytime temperatures in the 60-70 degree range, which artichokes like. So, I went into the garden to look for a good spot for it.

 

posted in: Gallery, Grow, Vegetables, plant, recipe, edible, focal point, eat
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Comments (6)

NorCalGal writes: I'm on my third year gardening in Northern CA. Sebastopol to be exact. This is the year that I will plant Emerald Artichokes, and Purple of Romagna artichoke. (Baker Creek is my best friend!) Thanks for the advice that they enjoy some cold! We had a horribly cool summer with minimal results in the garden 2010! Yuck... Hopefully with instruction from the gardeners on this site, and gopher interference I will implement; I will have success in the perennial vegetable arena. Thanks for the hints everyone, I am enjoying this site!
Posted: 10:00 pm on February 20th
lilbitandme writes: Artichokes LOVE the cold winters......NOT snow, but cold. Don't cover them or protect them from frost. Why the best artichokes are from middle to Northern CA! When you come across an artichoke from the store and it has brown spots on it.....it is from sudden or long term frost, that doesn't mean it will taste bad, it actually makes them taste BETTER!!! I live in zone 9, they don't really care for the heat that much, I have to make sure they don't wilt, but this years cold has done WONDERS!
Posted: 3:46 am on February 12th
ShirleyBovshow writes: Hey Patti,
You are in a cold climate too, like Ruth. It will be interesting to hear how well artichokes do for you guys. Are you putting yours in a pot to overwinter later in the cold season or do you think they will be alright in your garden with protection?
Shirley
Posted: 1:49 am on March 12th
TheGardenGirl writes: I am trying them for the first time too, Ruth. Thanks so much for the info Shirley. I just watered my artichokes and many have sprouted. My husband even said he couldn't wait to try one. The pressures on now.
Posted: 2:31 pm on March 10th
ShirleyBovshow writes: Thanks Ruth.
Five seeds have sprouted? Fantastic. I'm sure you will be babying these sprouts. I would love to hear about your progress later. Good luck my cold climate gardening friend.
Shirlet
Posted: 3:10 pm on March 9th
Ruth writes: Nice photos, Shirley. My Zone 6 garden is probably not ideal for growing artichokes, but I'm trying them anyway (for the first time). Five seeds have sprouted so far. Stay tuned.
Posted: 9:36 am on March 9th
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