On 29/7/06 09:36, in article ,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
snip

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.


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.

Kay's post has shown that they can be blanched and then eaten and how. And
when I did a Google, I read that they were very popular with Victorian
cooks. I must say that I find even artichokes a bore to eat * so much
effort for so little result tends to be my reaction!
When I first encountered cardoons I planted *three* together at the side of
a large pond, not realising the size they got to! In fact, it turned out to
be a happy accident because one keeled over for some reason but the other
two went from strength to strength and were, quite literally, traffic
stoppers. I think they're wonderful things but I couldn't bear to wrap them
up and hide them so that I could eat them!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)