We got lost one day going to Coventry (or somepleace awful) and we found the National Herb Centre. They had the most wonderful, big, silver-green plants that turned out to be artichoke plants. Ours didn't grow anywhere as large, yet. But fresh artichokes from the garden are great. We've surrounded the little artichoke plant with mint. Whitecroft, on a warm Spring day in April, 2004.
