ARTICHOKES for every climate

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Top dress with slow-release fertilizers such as compost, well-rotted manure, fish meal pellets, or cottonseed meal and green sand. Artichokes are heavy feeders, so be liberal. A steady supply of moisture is necessary, too. Make sure the planting bed has been amended with organic materials to create a well-drained soil. Artichoke plants will rot if their roots sit in water and stop growing if there is no soil moisture. Soaker hoses or drip emitter systems underneath mulch are the easiest and most efficient way to provide an even amount of water.

Artichokes have few pests, other than aphids and rabbits. Strong sprays of water or insecticidal soap will control aphids, and 2-foot-high chicken wire cages around young plants will deter rabbits. Remove the cages as plants grow. When plants reach their mature height, a terminal bud will form. It's the largest and first to mature on the plant. Side shoots will produce more buds, which are smaller and ripen later. Harvest before the buds start to open-a tight bud with waxy petals is ideal. Artichoke buds can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, but they are at their best when eaten shortly after picking.

After you have had your fill of feasting on fresh artichokes (and canning or freezing the hearts) let some of the buds open to flower. Not only are they a dazzling bluish lavender, but they are magnets for pollinating insects, such as bees and butterflies. The striking flowers are gorgeous in bouquets or dried, fall floral arrangements. Let the flowers dry naturally on plants. Florists pay premium prices for fresh and dried artichoke flowers, so you might consider the plants for a cash crop, if they grow easily for you. These gourmet thistles offer much to the gardener who plants them. So go ahead: Order seeds and start planning a few artichoke adventures of your own.

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