Hardy Tropicals UK

Thinking about something new to grow next year and wondering aside from eddoes and ginger what might be out there in supermarkets to try?

Turnips? Potatoes?

Sweet potatoes, ideally in a greenhouse or polytunnel, very exotic vine

Conifers wrote:Turnips? Potatoes?

Could start now then in time for Christmas! Am partial to roasted turnips....

tropical Tom wrote:Sweet potatoes, ideally in a greenhouse or polytunnel, very exotic vine

Looked at some pics and might be worth a try, cheap as chips and tasty too!!

Bulls blood beetroot is something I am going to try this year.

I'll say no more. http://www.kallus.com/aroids/ediblecommon.htm

grub wrote:I'll say no more. http://www.kallus.com/aroids/ediblecommon.htm

Smart-'arris! Job done!

giant artichoke.....the flowers are great !

The Codfather wrote:giant artichoke.....the flowers are great !

Are you referring to Cardoons or something else maybe? I've got Cardoons (grew from a packet of seed, only cost a quid or two) but if its something else I'll probably WOOT !

The third from last pic http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk/forum/v ... 6&start=15

The Codfather wrote:The third from last pic http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk/forum/v ... 6&start=15

Thanks



I think its a Cardoon, might be an Artichoke though (same family).

I had a google for Cardoons that might be bigger / more dramatic than the normal ones; didn't find much. Most of the talk is about cooking / flavour (both Cardoon and Artichoke) and some are bred to have less prickly leaves / straighter leaves etc. which would all be negative points for an Exotic garden I reckon.

There is this seed called "Gigante" (I found one grown by a user of MyFolia, and the picture makes it look big and the leaves are somewhat finely cut, so might look more dramatic than the bog standard ones)
http://b-and-t-world-seeds.com/carth.as ... ref=551464

MyFolia image:


The one I have is Cynara cardunculus 'Porto Spineless' from Chiltern Seeds
http://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item.php?id=428M
sorry - gave away the rest of the seed packet only a few weeks ago

"This is a fine, moderately-sized variety of ornamental Cardoon specially bred for cut-flower use."

so maybe there are larger ones to be had.

The head on that was like a football....

The Codfather wrote:The head on that was like a football....

Did you take a cutting then? If not: Why not?

Kristen wrote:I think its a Cardoon, might be an Artichoke though (same family).

Not just same family; same species Cynara cardunculus. Artichoke is a cultivar group (Scolymus Group) of Cardoon, selected for being less spiny, and more edible.

Here's a wild-type Cardoon:

Photo by Lusitana at wiki commons, cc-by-sa license