The Artichoke: Such a Drama Queen
Artichoke’s silvery arching leaves, up to 4 feet tall and wide, are very dramatic. If you don’t want to harvest them, or you leave some buds on the plant, the unharvested buds open into big, beautiful purple flowers.
Even if you don’t have a large garden, planting one of these plants would create a beautiful showpiece and you have the bonus of enjoying fresh-from-the garden artichokes.
Artichokes were once reserved for ancient Roman nobility. This royal vegetable can be used in a large number of recipes—everything from stuffed artichokes to dips.
Good Companion plantings are Asparagus, Sunflower, Corn, and Tarragon.
Artichokes’ height can provide sturdy supports for climbing plants and they can provide shade for smaller, more vulnerable plants. Because both sunflowers and sweet corn are tall and sturdy plants,
if you plant them on the western side of artichokes, they can help shade the artichokes from strong afternoon sun.
Tubers do not make good companions to artichokes as the root systems of both plants inhibits growth against both crops.
Artichokes are good neighbor plants. Other than their size, which can become considerable, they do not pose threats to other plants. They can also act as physical barriers or boundaries for garden areas. The flowers that can bloom on artichoke plants add nice color to a garden.
Next up – varieties and growing artichokes
