for Tina: growing artichokes in Texas

Tina, I don't know how well they'd grow in Texas. Artichokes are basically a thistle and when the weather gets hot they go to flower (or thistle) pretty fast. I live in the coastal foothills of California where they even grow wild all over the hills. They can get to be pretty big plants so they need a lot of room - mine are about 4 feet high and some are about 8 feet in diameter. I've heard they can be grown in the desert if protected from afternoon sun, like with a shade cloth. They're a pretty plant with silvery green leaves. The thistles are pretty too. But if the weather is too hot at the wrong time, the buds (which is what we eat) will burst into thistle before you can blink. You might try one or two in a shaded area of your yard and see what happens!