With the process of harvest (yesterday’s post) comes the urge for renewal. For those of you who are regular readers of my funny posts, you will recall how I’ve been enjoying the romantic meadow-like effect of so many veg gone to flower (as important for bringing in good bugs as much as for my own indulgence!) and now to seed. I know that many may look at parts of my garden during this month and quip that so much of it looks ‘dead’. But to me, it’s simply teeming with life.
The top image is the flower-head collected from a specimen of ‘giant Dill’. I grew it from a packet of seed bought a few years ago. But now, while I allow much of it to self-seed, ie, blow in the wind to land and grow where it pleases; I collect some seed just in case, so some of these are destined for a punnet at the next opportunity.
The next image, above, is the head of a parsnip flower. It has the same ‘umbellifer’ form that you will find in flowers of carrots, parsley and fennel (below), as well as one of my favourite meadow-flowers, Queen-Anne’s Lace. This form of flower is renowned for bringing in good bugs, and the moment all these veg burst into flower, it seemed we attracted a community of insects that were absent during the previous months.
Fennel has become one of the most valuable plants in the Kitchen Garden here. When I began, I only thought to grow it for its delicious fat bulbs, but I’ve since taken to growing it for the beauty as well as usefulness of its feathery foliage and simple flowers. Bringing in good bugs, it also behaves as shade and shelter for more fragile veg. It is of little use growing it to eat during summer…..but the seed from this flower head will produce the bulbs we eat during the coming winter and spring.
And so once again, the circle of life begins….