I am still in the garden, although it has been an eventful week. One of the artichokes is flowering, looking very like a thistle, to which family it belongs. The fat juicy buds are eaten, but if left on the plant they do eventually turn into flowers. Interesting, when we are used to eating fruits of most plants, rather than buds! Here are some other stages in artichoke life ….
All living things change, coming and going through their cycles, yet the life within them is always the same life, never changing, simply transforming joyfully from one state to the next. The same life illuminating the artichoke flower also illuminates us, as we are coming and going with the rest of Nature. That life, the Divine, or the Self, never changes, is always perfect, untouched, patiently and tenderly waiting for us to realise there is no need for our suffering, for we are truly that vast spacious luminous joyful awareness in which everything is coming and going.
dadirridreaming 
Of course! I’d never thought of it – we never grew them – fantastic! 🙂
christine, this post touched my heart, thank you
I was peering up close- what a wonderful flower! I’m not so fond of artichokes anyway, Christine, so I think I’d just leave them to nature. 🙂
Often I can ‘transform joyfully’ but not always, I just haven’t evolved that far.
Artichoke flower is so beautiful! The “joyful awareness in which everything is coming and going’ is a high level of awareness. Thank you for the beautiful words and photos, Christine!
Your artichokes are beauties! I have grown them (once) and they weren’t a rousing success! You make me want to try again, Christine. They are so pretty perhaps I’d be willing to sacrifice the edible head to see them flower. 🙂
una grande riflessione ha accompagnato questo piccolo gioiello della natura che è il carciofo, una riflessione profonda che da anima alla vita delle piccole cose, sei una persona speciale, Cristina
🙂
una grande riflessione ha accompagnato questo piccolo gioiello della natura che è il carciofo, una riflessione profonda che da anima alla vita delle piccole cose, sei una persona speciale, Cristina
Next time I’m challenged by change, I’ll think fondly of the flower of the artichoke whose flesh I’m very partial to 🙂
he he … a colourful example elladee 🙂 PS we have no internet … just visiting my neighbour 🙂
Again… bloody Telstra…
Beautiful post, photo and words. Must feel lush to be in your garden.
How interesting Christine. I had no idea they turned into flowers. I eat them too quickly! 😉
me too Margie!
I am a big fan of artichokes. The growing season is much too short here to accommodate them, so I only ever see the ones that have already been harvested, or preserved in glass jars. Had no idea that they are actually a young plant. The blossoms are beautiful too. A fascinating plant in all its seasons! Thanks for sharing.
And it’s me, pix & kardz. Somehow not able to sign in other than kardz by kris anymore. And i am actually looking for your photo blog. i shall persevere, however. am sure it must be out there somewhere in cyber space! have a great week ahead. 🙂
the photo blog is no more .. I could not manage two, so let it rest 🙂 I am fascinated by the artichoke too, the purple flower is awesome … and I love to eat the buds!
ok, good to know. i will stop searching 🙂
&nsp;
and yes, i love those artichokes, too. if there is an item on a restaurant menu with artichokes in it, i usually order it 🙂
Your photos are fantastic, and your words profound! What a brilliant idea to illustrate your words with the life cycle of an artichoke! 🙂
Madhu, I had no idea what words would come, does that happen to you sometimes? I guess I am living this realisation so it pops out unexpectedly 😀
When I saw the purple flowers, I thought they were thistles. I had no idea that artichokes have flowers or that they are in the thistle family. I’ve been eyeing “cardoons” as an experimental crop in my short season garden, artichokes wouldn’t make it.
Loved your garden and growing metaphors to reflect our own changing and becoming…