Sow seeds outside directly into garden soil 5/20 - 7/31. Plant seeds 1/4-1/2" deep, 3 seeds together in a patch - space patches 12" apart. Keep seeds moist. Days to seed germination: 7-14 days. Thin to the strongest plant (remove weak plants leaving 1 strongest plant). Protect plants from deer and groundhogs. Alternatively, sow seeds inside into biodegradable pots 4/15-5/15 - transplant them by planting the entire pot in the ground so that you don't disturb the plant's roots.
Edible fresh flowers: harvest flowers by hand by pulling the flower off of the prickly green base. For tea: harvest flowers and leaves - make tea from fresh or dried plant material. For greens: harvest young leaves only and cook them. The leaves have prickly fuzz on the surface - do not eat leaves raw and do not eat mature/older leaves cooked otherwise they will be horribly prickly in your throat!
Hand collect seeds as they mature. Mature seeds are dark in color.
