This morning it was time for the cardoons — at least as far as the bees were concerned.
Many years ago we planted this cardoon. The plant has a pre-historic look and is a distant cousin to an artichoke. Originally from the Mediterranean, they grow well here. This You Tuber down in OC has some interesting facts about the cardoon going back to the Roman Empire. And there are many sites that can coach you through how eat a cardoon. Basically, young cardoon branches are like giant stalks of celery and can be eaten raw or cooked any number of ways.
I’m not a fan of celery and, as it turns out, not a cooked cardoon fan either. Too stringy. But, we’ve kept this cardoon around for the bright purple flowers and, of course, the bees. About this time each year, these cardoons bloom and when they do, the bees get to it. Dozens and dozens of bees buzz in and around the cardoon flowers. They load up on pollen and then are off.
I’m kind of pleased with my photography here. It is fun to open up a picture and see the detail on the bee’s head, its open wings and saddle bags of pollen.
The end.
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