1. Globe Artichoke "Green Globe"

Thats lovely welcome to Goy SG.

This is absolutely beautiful, love the blue colour!

The flowers are very flat compared to the cardoon on the right of the screen.The grey sepals? are like mother of pearl. They make ideal dried flowers as they do not lose their seeds or their colour.

Looks beautiful. I was thinking it was a thistle flower, ours back home in Idaho looked very similar. I bet its a related plant. Thanks for sharing!

Welcome to GoY

Thank you all. thehealthywaymagazine .com web site has some interesting info on the health benefits of globe artichoke especially its effect on the liver and gall bladder. Wikipedia the free dictionary web site also has interesting information about this plant - where it comes from, its uses etc - which they describe as a perennial thistle. Fortunately it does not spread in my garden like the wild thistles do. The pictured flower head is 6" across.

Wow! I didn't think it was a real flower!! Amazing! I don't grow these, they are too big, but thanks for showing what it is like.

Wow !
That's wonderful, what a great thing to add to a dried arrangement.

Wonderful, Welcome to GoY Pam

Thank you everybody. I am dipping in and out of members sites like a kid in a candy shop.

Its wonderful isn't it! :-) And welcome Scotsgran, if I hadn't before. :-) I'm hunting up an old pic of the wild thistle in Idaho to post. Its amazing how similar it is. Never would have thought it was related to artichoke.

thank you all for your welcome and interest. I look forward to seeing your thistle GT. I am not sure but I think I read somewhere that you can post it in your comment.

I could put up a link, easiest to get there.

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/134648-wild-thistle-in-salmon-idaho/member/greenthumb

That's the only way I know. I'm looking for a better flower shot, the one I found wasn;t as close as I remembered....lol.

I have put a comment on your link. Fabulous colours in your photo.

Welcome from me!

Love the photo's of your wonderful garden

Hi Scotsgran,

Look at my blog for some advice.
Nice photo of this artichoke!

Thank you Erkabobby. After this horrific winter i have lost my plant which i grew from seeds about 3-4 years ago. I will plant them again this year as they are spectacular. We have been very busy today. It was actually warm and sunny so we got stuck in to making my raised planters. I did not stop to think about how much soil a 2.4m x 1.2m x 45cm high box would need. I do have a lot in my composting bins and I have many pots needing to be tidied up so that will all help.