"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 29/7/06 08:37, in article ,
"Adam" wrote:

snip

Does anyone have any experience with cardoon? Any hints or tips for how
to
get the best out of it? Any recipes?

We grow ours in the garden for ornament only and they are indeed, very
striking and beautiful plants. But if you want to eat them, I think it's
the leaf part only and they have to be wrapped in cardboard to blanch
them,
or so I read at one time. The general feeling appears to be that it's a
bit
of a faff and that you're better of growing artichokes for food and
cardoons
for ornament.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

They are two seperate plants which do look similar, Cardoons are normally
eaten like celary and are quite disgusting (but beautifull in the garden)
Artichokes are a better eat but are less satisfactory in a herbaceous
setting!
As to growing cardoons - try stopping them! some people remove the flower
heads (I don't) If you want more then root cuttings are easier than seed
which for the size of seed head are few and of poor viability.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)