This is a Cardoon artichoke. I bought three of them at the Van Dusen plant sale. The ants seem to love them. I've read conflicting things about how well they overwinter, and also about whether they will flower in their first year. Hopefully they do at least one of those things, as otherwise I've just got a big old thistle (three!) in my yard. Artichokes are part of the thistle family, so that wasn't just a creative metaphor. None of mine seem to be doing very much yet. Apparently they are also major self-seeders. Of course it's edible, but I am mainly growing them for the ornamental value.

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This is an edible ornamental - the stalks grow in bright, beautiful and unpredictable colours. I have some in my veggie bed and some in my flower garden.

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Nasturtiums are a nice alternative to pansies and petunias, which are so ubiquitous. They grow very easily in sunny spot, and are well-suited to container gardening. They are often sold in this bright coloured mix of reds and oranges, which is quite striking. However, next year I plan to grow the deep chocolate Empress of India nasturtium. I ordered seeds this year but was too late and they were sold out.

Nasturtiums are also edible. They have a sharp peppery taste, like arugula but stronger. They sure look pretty thrown in a salad, or garnishing a plate. But I won't eat too many of them as I want to leave some flowers to self-seed. Apparently they are vigorous self-seeders. That means that even though they are annuals, they sow their seeds and pop up the next year.

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