F is for Fennel

Two years ago I purchased a bronze fennel plant at a nursery with several other herbs, and potted it in a big pot in front of the greenhouse.  It grew and grew and grew! It was a really beautiful plant and provided us with many seed-heads.


Last year I planted several of the saved seeds and managed to get one pretty good plant that survived.  It spent the winter in the greenhouse and I recently planted it in with some of my other herbs in front of the potting shed.  It's not nearly as big as the mother plant, but it's already sending out a seed head!


I love the smell of fennel and have used the seeds in a few recipes, mostly on fish and bread sticks. I've read that tea from these seeds is good for an upset stomach and some say it's good for hypertension.


I don't have much experience with growing fennel other then this, but it's a beautiful plant, even if you just have it in the landscape.  Feathery and fragrant -- can't beat that combination!

Fennel seeds