I have fennel, now what?

[thistlebloom]

Thistle', I've grown both bulb and sweet fennel.

I really like the flavor of licorice but just couldn't bring myself to eat a vegetable cooked or in a salad with that flavor. It had no appeal to me. I shoulda, coulda, woulda - if I had any sense .

The sweet fennel grew and bloomed. I wanted to try the leaves for tea - blech! But, then I've had fennel seeds in various things so I waited, anticipating seeds. The plants didn't have time.

They survived a winter and now, I left the leaves alone and watched it begin to flower. The bees went crazy over it! But once again - frost destroyed the flowers before they matured seeds .

Steve

So which would you say bronze fennel was, bulb or sweet? I guess if yours didn't have time to make seeds, mine certainly won't.
But if the bees and butterflies like it I'll be happy.

 

[digitS']

Johnny's says it is "non-bulbing," Thistle'.

Claims it will make seed after overwintering in "mild areas."

I don't know if it needs a mild winter or a long, mild growing season but maybe it is different in more ways than color, from the standard sweet fennel.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Thanks Steve! I guess I'll find out next year if it goes to seed. Since it's in a pot, it may survive if I overwinter it in the garage.

Did your new transplants survive today's horrific wind?

 

[digitS']

I was out there this morning . . .

It was bad but I think it got worse. My guess is that they did okay because they looked fine early on - deeply buried.

The wind gusts were more severe at Sandpoint, as best as I understand. Could there really be over 10 feet of snow still on Schweitzer Mountain?!? (Wunderground) I'd think this wind could peel a little of that off the top of the hill!

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Yes, my sons friends have been hiking up and snowboarding down ( Schweitzer ) since they closed the season in April. Crazy. There's still lots of snow on Mt. Spokane too. I was working at Hayden lake this afternoon and the whitecaps looked like the ocean.
I hope we catch a break and get some nice mellow warm weather soon.

 

[Mackay]

Italian recipies often call for fennel. I put it in my spaghetti sauce and now no spaghetti sauce is right without it! Love it.

 

[hoodat]

I don't have to plant fennel for seed. It grows wild all over the place here. All I have to do is go collect it when the seed heads dry. Needless to say we have both varieties of swallowtails in abundance. I wish we saw more black ones though. What beauties they are.

 

[ducks4you]

Also, sausage. I'd like to start some in my herb bed when I clean it up next month.

 

[thistlebloom]

The sauce idea sounds good! Do you use the stalks or seeds?

 

[baymule]

I put fennel seeds in my chili. No one ever guesses what that flavor is.