Ok, one more post today.

I planted two globe artichoke plants in early spring. They grew wonderfully. The one on the right is lush and green and handles the sun well. Since bloom time began, the one on the left droops in the sun (I put up shade over this one) and has stretched out tall. They are 3 feet from each other and I gave them the same soil mixture when I planted them. They get the same sun, water and food.

The stretched and wilty one has given me several small artichokes. (Fresh picked, home grown artichokes sure do outshine the ones in the store.) The gorgeous lush one has not even suggested that it knows it is supposed to bloom. I was given the impression they were the same strain plant (Richard's nursery), and all else being the same, why are they performing so differently?