Cardoon

Not that common a plant and to be honest far too big for my narrow garden but I have a very soft spot for them

The young leaves are extraordinary looking and the flower heads look great too. As you might think they are relatives of globe artichokes

Unfortunately they grow to six foot high and have a spread that obliterates any less vigorous plant growing in their shade

I grew some from seed which involved giving them a spell in the fridge and this is one