Artichoke question

This is the last vaguely sane blip you will get until Monday as from tomorrow it is dress rehearsal, five performances and a lousy weather forecast which might force us indoors.

So my question is this...for all the 18 years we have lived in this house these artichokes have grown at the end of our garden. We have never eaten them but a friend insists we can...does anyone know? And even as I write this I have thought why don't I take one to our local garden centre and ask them. So thank you blippers, you have solved my problem.

All fingers crossed, prayers and sun dances please so that we can perform outside on Sat and Sun.