Okey Dokey, Artichokey

Artichoke

We've been watching a huge thistle develop on our next-door neighbor's property.  The plant has spiky leaves with magnificent bluish purple flowers.

Cindy has identified the plant as an artichoke.

Apparently they're good to eat until they flower, so this one is past its prime as food, but it's beautiful to look at.

I'm not real sure how you would go about harvesting one, anyway.