Most gardening books say that artichokes cannot be grown in the low desert of the southwestern United States.

As summer air temperatures routinely surpass 110 degrees, the hot soil can rise to around 150.

Being a curious person, I tried transplanting one specimen anyway, from a 3” pot, into one of my rows at the onset of fall. It grew miraculously fast! Then the hot summer came and it died. I removed it from my garden—a failed experiment. Continue reading Artichoke — Survival Techniques →