Garden Tip 161:

FENNEL IN GARDEN DESIGN

Texture, defined in the Webster dictionary as a composite of the elements, is what makes a good garden “great.” The combination of foliage such as the bold, broad leaf of hosta, strap shape leaf of daylily, lance shape leaf of tall phlox and the star shape leaf of perennial geranium create an artistic composition in the garden.

One of my favorite plants that adds an unusual and airy element to the summer landscape is the herb fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). Fennel is a tall growing, hardy perennial with feathery, threadlike foliage. Growing on strong stalks, it can reach a height of four to five feet, with bright yellow flowers appearing in midsummer.

This plant is a host to the swallowtail butterfly and is a favorite of pollinators because of its upright, umbel flowers. The varieties ‘Rubrum’ and ‘Purpureum’ do all of the above with the addition of adding bronze to red foliage to the garden.