herb containers
The
fennel will
end up being the tallest in the
group
FLOATING ON THE BREEZE
BELOW Nasturtium seeds can be sown directly into containers in spring for easy colour. The leaves of salad burnet appear early in the year and keep going all through the season.
This large oval pan is ideal for a happy mix of herbs, but again only if there are drainage holes in the bottom. The fennel will end up being the tallest of the group as it can reach 1.8m. Being a perennial, it can be moved to a herb garden after a year in the pot, but make sure you place it at the back of a border. Taking up the majority of the pot is French tarragon, which is a half-hardy perennial, and in front of the fennel are the rounded toothed leaflets that belong to perennial salad burnet, which is sometimes grown as an annual. This plant has a cucumber scent and is in the same family as strawberries and roses. You will also note that this container features calendulas, nasturtiums and chives - all of which have edible flowers.
POT CONTAINS: Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’ (bronze fennel) Artemisia dracunculus French (French tarragon) Sanguisorba minor (salad burnet) Petroselinum crispum ‘Frise Vert Fonce’ Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum (Italian or flat-leaved parsley) Origanum vulgare ‘Country Cream’ Anthriscus cerefolium (plain-leaved chervil) Allium schoenoprasum (chives) Nasturtium Calendula
In the kitchen Bronze fennel has a milder flavour than green fennel. Use whole fronds to make a bed on which to bake fish, and then remove before serving.
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spring 2014 the english garden 81