Garden Favorite

Artichokes hold a special place in my heart. Growing up, we would have artichokes for dinner paired with my family’s famous hollandaise sauce. Artichoke dinners were always engaging and interactive. Peeling every leaf, digging your teeth into the meat, and then eventually getting to the heart, it’s a meal to savor over lively conversation. We would mostly reserve them for celebratory occasions, but they could also elevate any normal Tuesday night dinner. My favorite meal, the one I still request the most for my birthday, is steamed artichokes and Dungeness crab.

Growing artichokes is an investment. They take up a lot of space for not a huge payout so when I see them growing in a small garden, I know the planter must love them with the same ferocity as I. In the hoop house at the Colton Garden, they always reserve about a 3 ft x 3 ft space for artichokes, which is where this artichoke is growing right now.

If you find yourself with the opportunity to acquire an artichoke, don't let it slip by. I think I know what I am making for dinner this weekend...

Next week, Nature Journaling - birds in the garden.