Recently I emailed this link to my fellow Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (RTBG) gardeners – no we are not allowed to return to volunteering there yet – and bemoaned the fact that there wasn’t a Tasmanian connection so I couldn’t write a blog post about the Cardoon. In response, gardening friend K told me that the Warrane Community Garden, which is in easy walking distance from where I live, was growing a Cardoon. She told me ‘We have one in the Warrane Community Garden and it’s doing quite well! It replaced a globe artichoke that didn’t survive transplant in the food forest. But I had actually never heard of them before that one was donated!’

Gardeningknowhow provides photos and information about their growing needs, harvesting practices and how they can be eaten. I think I could find room for one or two to grow in my garden … I wonder who much seed the Warrane community garden will collect? Hmmm.

Like K, I had never heard of these plants so I headed off to the Community Garden to have a look. Here are my photos.

All I could see was dramatic foliage in beautiful soft greys. If I didn’t know better I would have said this plant was an artichoke. Now I am fascinated and will return when the plant comes into flower and take more photos. Should be glorious!