Tuesday 4 August 2015

4 August : Fennel


The bronze fennel is Teacher's pet at the moment. It grows at a prodigous rate but does not need constant nurturing unlike certain others who shall remain nameless. The whole plant bobs around delightfully in the slightest breeze and when it rains the fronds turn to polished steel as they trap the water droplets. I am not sure that it looks its best in a mixed border where the delicacy of the fronds gets lost but here, in a pot at the front of the class on my sun trap of a patio, it is flourishing.

8 comments:

  1. mine's in a pot, waiting to be planted.
    Now you set me thinking whether I should have displayed in a pot??

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    1. I have some in a border interplanted with Verbena bonariensis which looks very effective but I have really enjoyed watching the delicate foliage in the sunshine in the patio pot.

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  2. We have a monster fennel in the middle of the veg plot, lording it over the other plants. It is quite magnificent and I love the way the light falls on it, especially in the evenings. Your bronze fennel sounds beautiful.

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    1. I suspect that this plant has the potential to go large but am enjoying it for now while it is manageable.

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  3. I planted a bronze fennel this year (I thought it would offer good feathery foliage for my fledgling floristry efforts) but overnight it was chewed to stumps by slugs. Never mind I dug out what was left and potted it up into a small terracotta pot and now, well it looks beautiful. It's standing on gravel in my front garden and I do hope it seeds itself around. I do like your idea of having a plant of the week in a prominent position.

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    1. I have a favourite chair just outside the kitchen door and only the best behaved plants are permitted in the inner sanctum where I drink my tea in the morning.

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