***Fennel***
(Foeniculum vulgare)
• Full Sun, Pot Suitable, Culinary Uses, Tea, and Essential Oil.
• Ideal Soil: Humusy and well-drained.
• Parts Used: Whole plant
• Medicinal: Indigestion, colic, sore throat, gum disease, and lactation.
• Culinary: With fish; in salads; as vegetable.
Grow licorice-scented fennel as a tall ornamental in the garden and for its culinary uses. The leaves and seeds are also used in cosmetics and herbal medicines.
Nectar-rich fennel flowers attract beneficial, such as pollinating wasps, to the garden.
Every part of the fennel plant, including the onion-like bulb is edible.
To promote leaf growth, remove seedheads. To preserve leaf flavor, add at the end of the recipe.
GROWING GUIDELINES:
Sow seed shallowly outdoors in spring or fall. Keep moist.
Growth Habit: Perennial; height to 4 feet [1.2 m].
Flowers: Summer; small, aromatic, yellow blossoms.
HARVESTING AND STORING:
Snip leaves before blooming. Use fresh or freeze. Cut ripe seed heads, place in paper bag, and shake. Dry on paper.
***Ginkgo***
(Ginkgo biloba)
• Full Sun, Pot Suitable, Culinary Uses, and Essential Oil.
• Ideal Soil: Deep, moist, and humus-rich.
• Parts Used: Leaves and seeds
• Medicinal: Allergic inflammation, asthma, and blood circulation.
• Culinary: Nuts are roasted. May cause vomiting.
An ancient species of plant that is often referred to as a "living fossil", ginkgo contains a chemical that is important in blocking allergic responses.
The pyramid-shaped ginkgo is also known as a maidenhair tree. Nurture young plants with organic mulch.
The fan-shaped leaves measure up to 5 inches [12 cm] across and turn yellow in the fall.
GROWING GUIDELINES:
Plants are male or female. Take cuttings of male in summer; females bear evil-smelling fruit. Sow ripe seeds in fall.
Growth Habit: Deciduous; height to 120 feet [36 m].
Flowers: Spring; inconspicuous green blooms on females.
HARVESTING AND STORING:
Pick leaves in fall as they change color; dry. Cook seed kernels. Store both in airtight containers.
