I raised my first artichokes this year, getting them as seedlings and they produced several artichokes (about 12+ on 5 stalks. They came so quickly that I could not eat them all and many of them went to bloom. A friend of mine told me that they could still be cooked and eaten after they bloom. I notice in your article that you advise against it. What is the reason that you state they can not be eaten? Are they dangerous (posion) or tough, or bitter?

Thanks for all the good information posted. I just cut my stalks back, not knowing that they were supposed to be cut as low as you suggest. I also noted that there are green leaves starting at the base on three of the 5 stalks. Should these be allowed to continue or should they be cut back also? Will there be another growing session in the near future?