For marybells (Jane)

Realy like it in sheese topped dish !(gratin de cardon )

Keep the air-freshener handy, though. ;-)

Hi Mossy how are you doing, hope your well....Happy New Year to you..
Sorry Scottish cannot believe this is still going..

Have never tasted them - I much prefer them covered with Bees and Hoverflies Mossy ;)
Mouldy - you trying to confuse me or is there a reason laithe58 is back?

Oh no so it is you Mouldy, what are you doing, I am confused.......com

Phew!! no squished caterpillar.
not as many leaves on mine scottish....now as we see this plant....will it just stay like this now and grow on or will it die back and start new regrowth latter on into the year?
thank you scottish....the lady who gave me my Globe Artichoke....has no leaves shooting fourth as yet but when they come the spread is massive and globes to die for, with really reach deep colouring....

What happens to it will wholly depend on the weather Jane. The first 2 years in the garden, I chopped it right back and protected the crowns with straw - they didn't grow so much but then the weather was much colder.
Last year (it's 3rd year) I didn't cut it back so much but it kept growing. The only thing I did this autumn was cut out the huge stalks and trimmed of the shabby leaves.
They certainly are rather big but I love them and although some would consider them way too big for my small garden - I would not be without them.
I think there are old photos of what I did the first couple of winters. let me check and I'll get back to you.

ok scottish thank you very much i have a clearer picture in my mined now :-) i would dearly love to have loads and loads :-)

have posted the only one I can find Jane. Give you an idea - mind you your weather is generally much milder than ours :)

yes it is i thought that when you wrote about protecting yours never had to that not even with the fig plant...
ok i will take look... thank you Scottish i really do appreciate the info...

Happy New Year to everyone. Hi Dottydaisy, I am in France at the moment, but will return in a couple of weeks. Last year was very hectic for me as I had the whole house renovated (still not finished) but I was still able to open the garden twice for the NGS (it was funny seeing visitors walking through the rubble in the house).

looking very good

Thanks Paul :)

SCOTTISH!
You gave the game away. Now DD2 knows it's me.
This 'Laithe' identity gives me double the chances for fun! ;-)

Got you now Mouldy, you will have to invent yourself again wont you lol!!
Ahhh Scottish I did wonder where Paul was, now we see him now we dont, I am too old for all this jiggery pokery, hard enough to remember who I am let alone anyone else!!

These are far too good to waste on eating. My avatar is a photo of one of the flowers I saved off my daughters cyanara cardunculus. I've posted a photo for you of the flowers Marybells. The plant grows to over 8' tall in her garden. That looks like it has been in a while Scottish. It has a few plants spreading out. Its quite a sight to see when it is in flower.

Master of disguise, me, DD2.
Another name I use is Psuedonym, but I only use it on Sundays.

He has been at the dictionary again.

I needed something to prop under a planter, Scotsgran and the dictionary was just the job!

Ahh! and there was me thinking I could just ask you to look up words when I got stuck on spelling.

I always type the word, add two or three variations, then look away for fifteen seconds.
When I look again the right spelling, more times than not, usually jumps out. Lol.

Clever

Trial and error. ;-)