That is exciting! I have never eaten or grown them.

Congratulations Tavy and Welcome! I've never grown them either. Surely winter is almost over so if they've made it this far, maybe they'll be ok. I can understand your enthusiasm. It's a great feeling when a plant lives that you don't expect to.
Glad you posted. : ) Hope you join in more often. Are you planning a big vegetable garden for spring?

Thanks for your interest in my Spring adventures Christie! The garden gets bigger every year. We've been harvesting rocks for almost 5 years in our current plot. I've put together about 400 sq. ft. of raised beds. I'm still working on making great soil. It's kind of silly because there are only two of us now. My hubby calls my carrots $5 carrots! I just remind him of the saved money for clothes, recreation, and enhanced good health and he's good with it. We're in Mountain Home, Arkansas. I'm surprised at how few avid gardeners I've encountered in this area in the eleven years we've been here. Tell me about your garden plans this year!

Hi tavy. I didn't reply to your post because I know nothing of growing artichokes. I like to eat them though. I don't usually like thistles but I bet they are an interesting looking plant. I am a little behind you on the rock removal. I haul as many in as I dig out.

My garden plans this year are mainly to keep the weeds out of everything I've already planted. I have a few veggies to plant but mostly as a learning experience. If our family had to live off of what I grow we'd be in big trouble. lol
I envy your raised beds. Are you using your own rock to make the sides? I made a small (3ft x 3 ft) raised bed last year and was surprised how many bags of compost it required. It would be cheaper to get it by the truckload but we don't have a truck. Compost sinks down too and then you have to get more. A person can spend quite a bit to save money. Some things just taste better home grown though. Watermelons are at the top of my family's list.