It seems from what I have read, that the smell of Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare (hence the pun!) is one of those you either love or hate. I therefore consider myself lucky at the moment because the acid yellow umbelliferous flowers have given way to thousands of seeds which are now ripening on the huge clump by the back gate and there is the most gorgeous smell of licorice / aniseed as we brush past it each morning to take the dogs for a walk.
The tall feathery foliage on thick branching stems makes a bold architectural statement in any garden. It loves a well drained poor soil in full sun and, unfortunately for some, seeds itself freely around the garden. I think the smell takes me back to my childhood eating Bassett’s Licorice Allsorts and aniseed balls!
Davids Garden Diary 
Do you have swallowtail butterflies where you live? If so this could be one of their host plants.
Hi Diane and thanks so much for your comments on my blog posts yesterday. Regarding the Swallowtails, they are in Britain but only in Norfolk which is a county about 250 miles from where I live. It is Britain’s largest butterfly but extremely rare. They are only found in marshes and wetland areas. So unfortunately, they won’t be visiting my Fennel!
I have visited your blog and like a lot of others have said, it is very well organised and beautifully set out. Lots of variety and wonderful photography.
I have never visited your part of America, only the tourist stuff in California and Nevada I’m afraid. Just the words “the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia” sound idyllic. It’s just not the same as “the Cotswold Hills of Gloucestershire”!
Best wishes.
David
David, thank you for your kind words.
Yes these foothills are idyllic, yet I have a fondness for the English countryside. Terminal bliss, indeed.