Ode to the Artichoke

The tender-hearted

artichoke

dressed up as a warrior,erect, it built itself

a little dome,

it kept itself

impregnable

beneath

its armoured leaves…

                                Pablo Neruda

I look forward to devouring some tender-hearted artichokes later this year and to ensure an ample supply I am adding another half dozen plants.   Following the lead of gardeners like Rosalind Creasy and Ivette Soler, I am interplanting the new plants with flowers.

Also, found this great article on growing artichokes in California published by the University of California. 

Edible Landscaping

Last week I attended the Master Gardener California Smart Landscaping Conference in Chico, California.  The best part of the Conference -- which included information about growing native plants, composting and attracting beneficial insects -- was the presentation by Rosalind Creasy, author of the recently published "Edible Landscaping" and many other books.  Creasy is passionate about her goal to replace unproductive, water guzzeling lawns with productive edible plants.  Her new book includes over 300 photographs illustrating her ideas for moving edibles out of the traditional rows in the backyard into prominence in the front yard, emphasizing color and design, as well as productivity. 

 

My weekend goal is recreate this bed of succulents,

lettuce and painted lattice work: 

Edible Front Yards

My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance. 

Tim Allen 

I attended an excellent lecture on converting front yard lawns into edible gardens by Ivette Soler.  She has great ideas for getting rid of non-productive lawns that guzzle water and require big bucks to maintain.  Her new book, "The Edible Front Yard," includes tons of photographs illustrating how to combine edibles and ornamentals in the front yard.  

The desire to turn the front lawn into a productive garden may be the modern trend, but my octogenarian neighbor has had an edible front yard for over 20 years and keeps it going all year long.  Indeed, his winter garden of cabbages, chard, broccoli, kohlrabi, spinach, lettuce and herbs is as beautiful as his summer garden.  

Of course, if you get rid of the lawns, you have to find another use for the man around your house.