A note about blanching methods. Under straw it is the best, but I have no straw, so on to the other methods. Wrapping is still the most labor intensive one, and I don't like labor anymore. Under leaves is OK, but they keep the humidity too high, and the cardoon will rot from the outside. The damage is minimal if caught in time, because the outer stalks are often discarded anyway, but last year the mild, rainy winter rotted to the core a number of my plants. Note that straw (and, I assume, hay), allows enough respiration that this does not happen. This year I am doing it different. I dug up whole plants, put them in trash cans, closed the lid, and put them in my unheated garage. The blanching is perfect, and there was some outer rot but less than under leaves. It then occurred to me that I did not have to keep the lid on (the garage is dark), so now the lid is off, and I think those left will not rot anymore. If I find some straw bales I will resume the straw method, but can blanching is significantly better than the other methods. I have also left some plants in the garden to perennialize, and sure enough they are still there doing reasonably well, though the temps will go down to 7F next week, so who knows. I ate a smallish plant two nights ago, it is still work to clean, it gave me about 20 6 inches pieces after cleaning. There is nothing quite like it, a super-fresh vegetable in midwinter. It is addictive, and you start thinking that 20 is too much, but then you can not stop. In November I also cut the leaf tops, which I dried and use for a very bitter herbal tea, which has a unique deep emerald color, and which I drink most of the nights when I do not eat cardoon. It is a plant that is very sympathetic to my body, as it protects the liver (mine gets lazy in winter). Others may get less benefit.

first they flowered, then they had in between the flowered spots that had dried out, was the black seeds, and boy do i know the need to chat!! my two kids are at vbs and its quiet, and i'm used to all the noise!! you'd think i'd enjoy the peace and quiet!! LOL HEE HEE i think ya just kinda get them all out of the flwered type thing and let them "dry out" for a few days or however long, i store all my seeds in a medicine bottles, (i have tons of them) and put them in the fridge. Thank you :'))

Most of the time I am an organic gardner but not over iris borers. When I spot them I dig up the clump and cut out all rotted areas and trim the leaves to healthy parts and fungicide them. It postpones bloom for a year with some irises but not others. I do not dig up all the clumps not showing a problem however for most seem healthy and usually I do not get the borers back again for many years. What is bothering me this year is slugs and snails all over the iris. Never had that problem before and that might be from rain, rain, rain so I stomp, stomp, stomp the offenders.

You've got plenty of time for another crop of bush beans if you want to try some other bush varieties. Maybe enough time for pole beans -- I'm not sure of that. I'm about to put in my second crop of Royal Burgundy and Dragon Langerie.