Day 57: cardoon corpses

Daily details from the garden to bring you inspiration throughout the year

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I have a weakness for cardoons (Cynara cardunculus). Every aspect of the things fills me with delight – the name (what a word!), the great blue-grey leaves like partially furled dragon wings, the towering presence in the summer border, the bright violet thistle heads. Perhaps a slightly looming, sinister presence left standing over winter but – boy, such equisite corpses, even the underneath looks to have been finely carved out of oak – delicate, and substantial. We should all die so well.


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Hello! I’m Andrew, gardener, writer, photographer, 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 this image.

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