More in Monet's Aussie Garden

Only joking as it is Australia Day and this garden photo is from Tupelo Grove Nursery in Mylor, in the Adelaide Hills. This was our first Open Garden for the new year.

Being our special day today, I thought it appropriate to blip this beautiful artichoke, seeing that artichokes arrived in Australia with the First Fleet. It's a delectable and sadly under-valued vegetable.

If the artichoke is not picked, it goes on to develop into a beautiful purple flower, which then forms seeds with downy tufts.

More purple.

The right time to pick an artichoke is when it's sweet and tender. If left to flower it become dry, woody and inedible.