A Danger Free Zone!

  There are some things that I just flat out refuse to do.  One being, I will not under any circumstances spray, douse, dust, powder, or otherwise dump a lot of harmful chemicals on my garden.  It just ain't happenin', folks.  Tomato worms will be handpicked, squash bugs cut out of stems and smashed and most other plant devouring critters will be coated with vinegar.  (For some reason, bugs do not like the stuff and while it may burn the plants a bit, it is otherwise harmless.)  By my figuring, if a chemical kills a critter, it cannot be to all powerfully good for my body.  So, that said, the critters do indeed eat their share of my fruits and vegetables.  That is ok, too, since they have to live as well.  

  Other than the fact that insecticides are terrible for us, they are not species specific.  By this I mean, what I spray on the tomatoes for stinkbugs will also kill honeybees and butterflies.  This is not good, by my standards.  I like critters...for the most part.  In fact, I like them so much that I do allow a good many to just munch away to their hearts' content.  The "Fennel Munchers" fall into that category.  Fennel Munchers is a nickname that I applied to the caterpillars of the black swallowtail butterflies.  They do some major munching on the fennel but it is only temporary damage and the end result is gorgeous butterflies that flit about the garden.

  Before the rain this morning, I watched as dozens of fat caterpillars searched for places to attach themselves for the duration of their morphs into their adult stage.  The caterpillars left the fennel and made their way across the ground to the posts surrounding the small garden.  A few attached themselves to the posts but others kept on their journey until they reached the deutzia bush. These climbed and climbed until they each chose a special spot to cling.  This trek to find the perfect spot to morph had to be the most exercise that any of the caterpillars have gotten since they hatched from their eggs.  Other than moving on the leaves they were eating, their entire life up to this point was spent on one plant.  Soon, however, they will spend the days endlessly flying about hunting nectar and laying the eggs on my fennel. After a few days, a hundred or more baby caterpillars will hatch and start eating again.  It is certainly a good thing that fennel is prolific and fast growing!  And it is a good thing that I like butterflies!

Spring has Sprung

  Spring has sprung here on the Bayou.  I know this because the little fennel-munchers are out in full force.  I hate to tell them but I like fennel, too, so they need to calm down a bit and let the stuff grow.  While out in the garden today, I noticed that not only is the broccoli being attacked but the fennel has literally been invaded!  I do not mind so much about the broccoli as it is about to be yanked from the ground to make room for the summer squash but, egad!, my fennel?  Is nothing sacred?

  Dozens upon dozens of the black swallowtail caterpillars are munching happily on the feathery fronds of the Florence  Fennel.  While this does not hurt the growth of the large fan-shaped root, the caterpillars will render the leaves into an unsightly mess!  But...that said...I hate to kill them.  It is sort of a conundrum.  Do I wish to have pretty herbs or do I want pretty butterflies?  Answer?  The caterpillars win.  I love to watch the butterflies flitting about in the garden so it is not in my will to kill the critters that are devouring my herbs.  Mother Nature wins again.  So be it.

 

Can I Find a Bee for Hire?

  Early this afternoon, the cooling breeze demanded that I take a hike! While the house seemed hot, outside was pleasantly comfortable.  The hike meandered around the gardens and finally to the west side of the house.  Just a few steps from the little walkway flanked by herbs, a slight buzzing sound could be heard.  It seems that I am not the only one that loves my herbs!  Bees have literally swarmed to the blossoms of the Florence Fennel and are taking full advantage of the pollen. The yellow blooms were crawling with numerous types of bees and even a few wasps.  This was surprising to me as just a few feet from the fennel were dozens of Ruby Lilies in full bloom.  Nary a bee (nor wasp) could be found buzzing about those blooms even though they are highly aromatic.  There just has to be something about that Fennel pollen!  I knew the plants were good for you and the seeds are amazingly tasty but what about that pollen?

  A bit of research showed where the Fennel pollen is indeed sought after by, not only bees, but humans.  Just recently, the pollen has become recognized as an exciting culinary spice.  Obviously, the pollen packs quite the wham to a number of dishes.  It can be added to meats, salads and even breads!  Come to find out, I am missing out on the most potent part of the Fennel!

  Another thing that was surprising (and a bit saddening) was the fact that even though there were hundreds of bees on the Fennel, not one was a honeybee.  Perhaps they do not like the potent pollen and search out sweeter nectar.  Earlier in the year, the roses, jasmine and citrus trees were loaded with honeybees but I never noticed any other type.  I suppose bees have selective tastes just like humans.  Sweet nectar must be needed to make honey whereas pollen can be used to feed bee larvae. Since these bees and wasps were most likely stowing food away for their unhatched eggs, it stands to reason that the pollen would suffice. Smart bees.  And if that pollen is so tasty, I now want to find a way to harvest it!  Perhaps this will be my new "spice" of the year!  And since it is priced at around $10 per half ounce, I will harvest and not buy!  Wouldn't it be great if I could train bees to harvest pollen for me?

Big Changes are Coming!

  Oh, what a beautiful day!  After so many days of steady rain, the sun was shining, the birds were singing and the caterpillars were changing to their chrysalis stages!  Well, actually the first two were right.  That caterpillar thing actually started yesterday in the pouring rain.  And, yep, I was out to witness the phenomenon.  Mark and I made a quick hike about the hillside during a break in the rains and found the caterpillars "in process" of cocooning.

  The Florence Fennel that fills the herb garden with such graceful fronds is the favorite food of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly.  Each year, the plants can be found with dozens of the hungry caterpillars all munching away on my plants.  Since I adore the butterflies flitting about the garden, I do not have the heart to rid the host plants of their diners.  I figure that they cannot do that much harm to a five foot tall plant so I just let them fill their little tummies.  The rainstorm of yesterday did not seem to deter the critters from their morphing process.  When Mark and I went to check the fennel plants, the caterpillars had vacated the fronds and moved onto the fence boards surrounding the garden.  Several had already made the change and were hanging by thin, threads.  One was still a caterpillar clinging to the board.  With another storm in the works, I felt badly for the tiny critter.  Perhaps he would not be able to withstand the pelting rain and the high winds.  I felt the urge to "help" the critter even against what I know Son would have advised.  "Leave nature alone, Mom.  It has done fine all along without your help."  I have heard these words on more (many more) occasions than one.  He admonishes me for interfering with the lives of wild critters but since he was inside, I could help my caterpillar without his knowing....right?  A window from the hotbed would serve as the perfect shelter for my critter friend!  I felt good about my attempt to protect the little guy.

  Fast forward until today.  The two cocoons were still intact on the fence boards.  My caterpillar?  Well, he was having a bit of a problem. Obviously, my protective services hindered his progress....he was still a caterpillar!  That change had not occurred.  Ok...so I removed the window, apologized and wished him well.  Hopefully, a hungry bird would not dine upon the hapless critter.  Two hours after removing the window pane, I checked again and, lo and behold, a chrysalis hung where the caterpillar was earlier!  He made it!  So, I guess I should listen to Son and leave well enough alone.  Lesson learned...at least until next time that I feel the urge to "help"!  On a happy note..it will not be long before butterflies are gracing the garden!  (And laying more eggs on the fennel.)

The Assassin

  The Florence Fennel is doing extraordinarily well this summer.  I suppose the daily rainstorms are good for its health although the water is taking a toll on the tomatoes.  Fennel will have to somehow become a daily part of our diet at this rate.  I suppose this will be ok except I really don't think the fennel will ever replace tomato sauce in a spaghetti dish! A new diet will have to be pondered.

  Today while Mark and I were out and about between thunderstorms, we noticed that the fennel plants were covered with caterpillars once again.  The Black Swallowtail butterflies must have been busy!  We counted over thirty caterpillars on one clump of the fennel.  Geez!  I suppose I could have started picking and squishing the critters but something tells me to just leave them be.  I like butterflies and you just cannot have one without the other.  While we were staring at the munching and crunching caterpillars, Mother Nature took measures to stop the total ruination of my fennel.  A wasp violently attacked one fat caterpillar!  

   In a matter of minutes, the wasp was making a meal of the hapless critter.  I had never seen a wasp rip into another critter with such voracity!  This thing was literally ripping the poor critter to pieces!  It was not a pretty sight but mealtime in the wild rarely is.  The wasp tore piece after piece from the caterpillar.  It did not take long for the caterpillar to be mostly consumed.  All the while, their sibling was being devoured, the other caterpillars calmly munched their own meal.  Not once did a single one seem to be disturbed by the actions of the wasp even though the assassination took place just inches from their place on the stalk.  None were afraid that they were to be eaten next. None made an effort to come to the aid of their sibling.  They just placidly ate. Wow!  The Wild World Of Nature is a strange one.

  Perhaps I needn't be too upset about the caterpillars on the fennel.  It seems that Mother Nature always has a way of balancing things.  I know that since the wasp found an easy source of food, it will be back to attack again and again.  The wasps of the garden will keep things in check.

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!

My Outdoor Aromatherapy!

The culinary and medicinal usage of herbs is something that has long interested me.  I find that food flavored with fresh herbs is much tastier than when using the dried herbs found on the grocer's shelf.  Also, homegrown herbs seem to be tad more potent when used in a healing way.   I want to have a huge herb garden!  My aim in this is a tad lacking in reality as my garden thus far is not nearly as large as I wish it to be.  There are still lots of herbs that would prove most helpful if I could only find the space to plant them!  For now, however, I will be happy with those that are flourishing in the small allotted area. Some day..some day..my herb garden will be large and overflowing with the most delightful smelling herbs around!  One of my favorite herbs is Florence Fennel.  Not only does this provide me with the seeds that I use in teas but, also, with greens and roots!  The root of the Florence Fennel is a wide "hand-shaped" thing that is most tasty stir fried and tossed with other vegetables or roasted with a bit of olive oil and then sprinkled with balsamic vinegar and fresh basil.  My daughter was the one that introduced me to the usage of Fennel Root.  As for the greens, I snip the tender ones to be dried and then use them as I would Dill Weed.

While out and about this morning, I noticed a new aroma in the air!  Sure, the Confederate Jasmine and Seven Sisters Roses are still in bloom but they are waning and I was sure this scent was not from them.  I wandered a bit..following the scent that wafted in on the soft Bay breeze.  That, itself, told me that my elusive, aromatic plant was on the south side of the garden!  Ahh..deductive reasoning! Actually, I already knew what was filling the air with fine aroma of what reminds me of licorice or Star Anise!  While I am  not a big fan of eating licorice, I love the smell and Star Anise is an incredibly wonderful herb! Sure enough, once I followed the path to where the Fennel was growing, the aroma was delightful......and there was a squirrel..nibbling on my Fennel!!!  Arrgh!  NO!!  I shooed the squirrel away.  He can go raid the bird feeders!  To be honest, the squirrel had not done a tremendous amount of damage to the plant as I truly believe he was more trying to dig up an acorn that was buried last fall.  The Fennel plant multiplied and covered up said acorn!  No gnaw marks were actually on the plant but digging had taken place near the root.  At this point, I noticed that the Fennel plant was huge!  It was higher than my head!  The yellow blooms that would soon turn to the coveted seeds swayed above me like some tall umbrella!  No wonder the yard smelled so good!

~Just as an added note which might come in handy during the warmer months.  The aromatic Fennel is said to be highly disliked by fleas!  Powder made from dried Fennel plant can be scattered about in stables and pet areas to rid them of the pesky (and harmful) critters.  I wish I would have known this a few years ago when we were fostering the pup, Sunny!  As with so many strays and rescued dogs, she was infested with fleas.  The rescuers, Elizabeth and Robbie, fought the critters and thought they had won the battle.  When it came time for Sunny to stay with us for a while, the fleas came back with a vengeance!  The ones she had and ones from the surrounding wooded area, wreaked havoc on our place for a few weeks.  Only a strict regimen of baths for the dogs and spraying with chemicals (much to my disgust!) rid the place of the pests.  Had I known then about the Fennel, I could have placed parts of the plants in the dogs' bedding.  Sure..Sunny and Ms. Ez would have smelled like black jelly beans but that would have been much nicer than the chemical smell!~