Globe Artichoke ‘Violet de Provence’

Why I grow it

Globe artichokes are my second favourite vegetable, and I honestly think every garden with enough space should have at least one.

They're magnificent plants, with huge architectural silver-green leaves and beautiful edible flower buds. They're as much an ornamental feature as a productive vegetable.

And I love that they give back to the garden too.

Once I've finished harvesting, I can chop and drop the healthy spent foliage, using it as mulch to help retain moisture and gradually return organic matter to the soil.

Beautiful, edible and useful — pretty much my ideal plant.

At a glance

Type: Edible perennial
Variety: Violet de Provence
Growth: Large, upright, architectural clump
Flowers: Purple-tinged edible buds that open into striking thistle-like purple flowers if left unharvested
Good for: Potager gardens, perennial vegetables, ornamental planting, pollinators and mulching
Inventory: 7 plants

In the garden

Artichokes are wonderful statement plants.

Their dramatic foliage adds structure to a mixed potager, and their flower buds are almost sculptural.

They need a generous amount of space, but in return you get a plant that looks spectacular for much of the year.

If you leave a few buds to flower, they produce extraordinary purple blooms that are popular with bees and other pollinators.

I also use the spent foliage as chop-and-drop mulch, cutting it into manageable pieces and leaving it around the garden to help protect the soil.

In the kitchen

For me, freshly harvested globe artichokes are a real treat.

The edible parts are the tender base of the bracts and the heart, once the fibrous choke has been removed.

Steam or boil the buds until tender, then serve with lemon, good olive oil, melted butter or a simple vinaigrette.

Young, tender buds can also be prepared for roasting or braising.

Harvest the buds while they're still firm and tightly closed, before they begin opening into flowers.

Care

Full sun and fertile, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter.

Give plants room to spread — approximately 1–1.5 m between mature plants is a useful guide.

Water regularly during establishment and prolonged dry periods, particularly while buds are forming.

Mulch to conserve moisture and feed with compost during active growth.

After harvesting, remove spent flower stems and tired foliage as needed. Established plants can produce new shoots from the base.

What you’ll receive

One young Globe Artichoke ‘Violet de Provence’ plant, grown from seed.

These are perennial plants to grow on and establish, with harvests developing as they mature.

Plants naturally vary in size and shape and may be supplied in reused nursery pots or growing bags — perfectly useful plastic doesn't need replacing simply because it doesn't match.