Organic Artichoke Imperial Star - Cynara scolymus

The Imperial Star artichoke is an early globe-type variety with vigorous growth. Each plant forms a beautiful clump reaching about 1.50m (5ft) in height and 1m (3ft) in width and produces round, green heads measuring approximately 12cm (5in) in diameter, with a sweet and tender flavour of excellent quality. Plants produce 3 to 4 artichokes in the first year and 6 to 8 in subsequent years. Plant the young plants in spring, or autumn if your winters are mild, and harvest from May to August for about 4 years. The plug plants are planted from April to June after the last frost, when the plants have several leaves.

Certified organic plants.

The artichoke, scientifically known as Cynara scolymus, has large, deeply cut, silvery-grey leaves. At the end of the stems green or purple heads form, which can be consumed raw or cooked depending on the variety. If you let them bloom, you will get very decorative blue-violet flowers. Thus, the artichoke can be grown both in the vegetable garden and in the garden as an ornamental plant. By protecting the base during winter, you can harvest artichokes for several years. In cooking it is the base of the bracts that is consumed, as well as the flower receptacle, often called the heart of the artichoke. Some varieties can be eaten raw when the heads are small, but most artichokes require cooking, usually by steaming.

Harvesting : From May to August. The heads are harvested before flowering when they are perfectly formed, with the lower bracts starting to open. Cut cleanly with a knife or secateurs about 10 cm (4in) from the stem.

Storage : Artichokes should be consumed quickly after harvest. You can also can them or freeze them.

Gardener's tip : Since artichokes are a nutrient-demanding vegetable, they are ideally planted after a crop of peas, beans, or broad beans. These belong to the Fabaceae family and enrich the soil with nitrogen. Also, since artichoke growth is relatively slow, you can plant short-cycle plants like lettuces nearby.