Pretty Flowers!

  Son and I were talking the other day about how pretty some of the herb and vegetable blossoms are.  These can rival the most elegant of blooms of the so-called "flowers" that are planted in yard gardens around the world.  While I have nothing against planting flowers, I may just turn all of my gardens into veggie plots.  Why?  Merely because of those blooms.  Yep, herbs and vegetable plants have remarkable blossoms but, also, have the added benefit of providing a meal or medicines for those who plant.  

  We were most particularly referring to the herbs which are in full bloom at the moment.  "Those are some bright flowers." Michael remarked as we weeded the okra.  I looked to where he was pointing and realized that the "flowers" were the fennel blossoms.  I allow my herbs to bolt simply to gather seeds for next years' planting and to use in the kitchen.  Fennel seeds are amazingly helpful in so many remedies plus add a nice flavor to tisanes and breads.  The seeds taste and smell a good bit like anise seeds but should not be confused.  These are two entirely different plants!

  While the entire plant is edible and has a lot of great properties that help the body, I usually resort to just the seeds.  This is all about to change!  I have just discovered a new "cooling" drink to use during the heat of the summer.  An tisane made from the leaves of the fennel and sweetened with a bit of honey can be iced down for a delightfully delicious and cooling drink.  The cooling effect can last for a bit making this perfect for those hot days on the Bayou. Between this and iced mint tea, I should be set for the duration of this summer!  

  So my flowering herbs will soon be filling more and more of the gardens.  With very few pests and their heat tolerance, herbs seem to be the way to go.  Move over petunias!  There are some new plants in town...errr..the garden!