Daily details from the garden to bring you inspiration throughout the year
The antics of my artichokes have become a talking point. Beneath a similar picture to the above, posted to my Instagram account a few days ago, a friendly discussion ensued as to whether or not what’s going on here is vivipary in its truest sense. The word describes the situation where the embryo develops before detaching from the parent – a run of the mill situation for a person, less so for a plant, though you often see seeds sprouting on teasels and even the pips of tomatoes bursting into life while still in the fruit. Such botanical phenomenon are accidental, however – for a truly kosher viviparious experience you’d need to look to something like the mangrove (Kandelia candel or its cousin Rhizophora apiculata), in which the seedling habitually grows out through the wall of the fruit while still attached to the plant.
All of which is very interesting, but it’s not going to stop me bandying the word about whenever I see a teasel or an artichoke behaving oddly.
A year of garden coaching
To find out more about my my 12 month online garden coaching programme, please visit the website, where you can read more details and add your name to the waiting list to be the first to hear when enrolment opens up again in the autumn.
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Hello! I’m Andrew, gardener, blogger, podcaster, and owner of a too-loud laugh, and I’m so pleased you’ve found your way to Gardens, weeds & words. You can read a more in-depth profile of me on the About page, or by clicking the image above.
