I let Globe Artichokes flower rather than eating the big buds when they appear earlier in the season. Bees love to rummage through them. Like Fennel [see last entry] they grow on the allotment needing no watering or maintenance. 

 Globe Artichokes are noteworthy across three seasons- big foliage, tall stems, those big buds and purple flowers. After flowering the seed heads make a striking silhouette well into autumn.