I’ve just planted another couple of bronze fennel plants as the last ones expired. It has been a long-standing popular medicinal herb. The whole plant has a warm, aromatic taste and has been prized since the time of the ancient Greeks. It was frequently mentioned in Anglo-Saxon  cookery books before the Norman Conquest. William Coles, in Nature’s Paradise in 1650 said that “both the seeds, leaves and herbs of our Garden Fennel are much used in drinks and broths for those that are grown fat, to abate their unwieldiness and cause them to grow more gaunt and lank”.

In spring you can sow seeds or like me, buy as young plants. You can pick the young stems and leaves to use as needed. Collect the seeds for sewing or for using, but if you don’t want to use the seeds, remove the flower heads to promote more growth of leaves.

Fennel as a Herbal Remedy:

Make an infusion or herbal tea by using a teaspoon of seeds and a cup of boiling water. Steep for five minutes and drink to aid digestion, help heartburn (or like me, gastric reflux). You can also use the tea for bathing tired or inflamed eyes.