I bought a nice looking fennel at Le Grand Marche and am making Fennel with Wine and Honey with the bulb. I hate the thought of throwing out the stalks and fronds so what do all you guys do with them? I know I can use the fronds for garnish but that's a lot of garnish!!

if you're going to be having a salad soon you can use some of the more frondie parts, they add a nice flavor.

if you're going to be making a soup soon you can use the stalks to flavor (just as you would the bulb portion), just cut up into bite size pieces.

that's all I got =)

Annie, I have no idea, but I want the recipe for the Fennel with Wine and Honey! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Temery, thanks.

Georgia...http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fennel-in-Wine-and-Honey/Detail.aspx
Hope you like it.

Annie

Thanks Annie. Now if I can just find fennel here in the boondocks!

Georgia--I saw some plants for sale at Lowe's the other day! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" /> I have actually gotten into a kick with fresh herbs and have a bunch of different herbs growing on my front porch at the moment. Even have cilantro, even though Eric hates it! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> I will just sneak it into my plate and leave it off his. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

Carol, I'm getting ready to plant my herb garden here, so I'll look for fennel when I do that.

I don't know why I have never bothered before, but have probably a dozen herbs growing on my front porch now. We'll see whether I can get them to last through the summer, as it gets very hot here..

Carol,
My patio faces south and in the summer the sun is behind us.
In any case, I keep my parsley, oregano and chives in the shade. Rosemary and sage in full sun but sage needs to be watched. Can't do thyme. Too hot!
Cheers
irina

OK, thanks for the tip! I was going to look things up to see what I should expect. I have mine now in boxes hanging off my front porch. They get afternoon sun (only), but as you know, afternoon sun here is pretty darn hot! I was thinking I will probably take them out of the hanging boxes and put them in pots on the patio itself, which is fully shaded, so they won't get much direct sun. Just haven't been able to physically do too much planting yet this year..

What is it about cilantro that people HATE it?

Don't know. I like it. I wouldn't want it in everything, but I enjoy it.

ME TOO! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />

Carol, most herbs like full sun, although the afternoon sun in Florida might be too hot for them. I don't think they'd do well in full shade. If you can find a place that gets morning sun that would probably be the best. Rosemary and oregano are pretty bulletproof, so they'll do fine in the hot sun. Just make sure you water them enough, as pots dry out quickly.

Being on the porch, they get a lot of reflected sunlight there, so I think actually the shade might be OK. I am at the point where I need to do something with my basil, as the pot is too small and/or the sun is too hot for it, as it basically wilts on me every afternoon..

I have taken the top leaves of the fennel bulb (called anise) and made sucking candy with them. It is quite simple

1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of water
boil until 239 degrees (use a candy themometer)
add 3T of anise leaves

pour onto sheet pan and let it sit till it becomes hard. Break into pieces and suck one piece at a time. It has a very nice licorice flavor. You can add food coloring to make it look pretty. But they are beginning to link food color to autism so on second thought forget the food coloring unless you already have autism

Carol, do you have your basil in potting soil or sand?
They may be too moist? try mixing potting soil 1/2 & 1/2 with sand (or vermiculite) for better drainage...
and it does like periods of shade too...
We grow it on our deck on LI, which gets morning sun, and mid-afternoon shade...
If it is root bound, re-pot it... easy to tell...
just tap pot, removve and if the outside of the soil is full of roots, re-pot!

if it is root bound, remember to score the old roots with a knife, top to bottom, in 4 places...
That will promote new root growth, and force the new roots to grow into the new soil...

Basil is in Miracle Grow Moisture control potting soil but it wilts in the afternoon, which to me cannot mean that it is too moist.

Carol,
Took me awhile to understand the intense afternoon sun here! The basil is dry! Mine does the same thing. I water when the sun is NOT out, either early am or dusk.
I must say my basil grew much better in NYC. And btw, I also planted ginger here and it did great!
Just bought a piece and let it sprout, cut it up and put it in a planter.
Cheers
irina

Thanks for the hint on the ginger. I may try that.

Oh me too (the ginger)! do you think it will do ok out here in CA?

Basil is one of the more tender herbs, it needs plenty of water and not so much afternoon sun. I would think it would do fine on your porch...like you say, it probably needs more water. I'd give it a good soaking every morning and see if that does the trick.

I think I will repot it and put it in a pot sitting on the deck. Hopefully that will do the trick. My mint is going gangbusters. Looks like there's a mojito in my future this afternoon! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Living on the 2nd floor of a house with just a deck for growing stuff has it's challenges for me, an old farm boy (not reaaly but always had a yard with real dirt). Watering is the biggest problem with containers, they just dry out too quickly. Bigger pots and twice a day watering has been my answer, it's not good for the plants to wilt too often although when mine do I just tell my wife it makes them stronger, lol.

Yummy! You do know that mint will take over if you're not careful? I planted some in the back yard at the old house, and was still pulling it up seven years after I tried to kill it all.

It's in a pot, so it can't go too far. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

Georgia, I planted it in our woods for just that reason! It grows anywhere, and takes over like wildfire!
Great for woods, cause it pushes out all the crap!

And smells delicious! Fresh mint is so good! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />