LADYBUG: CELEBRATE NATIONAL HERB WEEK

The growing of herbs has increased by leaps and bounds the past 10 years. Apartment dwellers grow herbs on their balconies or on window sills. In homes they are grown in containers as house plants. They are widely grown in the garden and now there are herb farms. There are herb societies and national and international organizations.

Botanically speaking, the word herb is derived from the Latin word "herba" which means grass or green crops. In ordinary language it refers to a host of plants whose leaves, flowers, roots, bark and other parts we use for flavor, fragrance, medicine, cosmetics and dyes.

National Herb Week is being celebrated the week leading up to Mother's Day, May 8 to 14. The national organization chooses an herb to feature each year, and this year the chosen one is fennel.

Fennel is a semi-hardy perennial, grown as an annual in colder climates. Seeds can be planted directly into the garden from April on, or can be planted in the fall in some areas, or they may be planted in pots and transplanted when it becomes warmer.

The plant is useful as an ornamental planting in flower borders or herb gardens. It looks somewhat like dill when small, although the fragrance and flavor are quite different.

Fennel, both bronze and sweet, grows to a height of 3 to 5 feet and should be put to the back of a border or bed as a background plant.

Seeds of fennel are easily germinated and are excellent for the beginning gardener or for schoolchildren to experiment with.

This herb will grow in any soil, but prefers moderately good to rich, well-drained soil. The plant requires full sun and will not tolerate overly damp or constantly wet conditions.

Roots of bronze fennel get a bit larger each year, eventually making a small clump of plants originating from the large, main root. Bronze fennel gets its name from the new leaves, looking like fern fronds, which are bronze-brown as they unfurl.

Sweet fennel is known for the bulb, which is actually the swollen base of the leaves of the plant puts up bloom stalks. Cut just below the bulb and above the roots. To cook, split the bulb lengthwise into several pieces, steam for a few minutes and serve with lemon and butter.

All varieties are hosts to the eastern black swallowtail butterfly, which spends much of its life cycle on fennel and other plants of the carrot family, which fennel belongs to. (That is another story.)

House finch babies

Without so much as a goodbye, those birds have flown the coop or, more accurately, the nest.

We promised to update you on the developments in the house finch family. These were the offspring of Lady Finch who, uninvited, set up housekeeping in the wreath on our front door. Humph. Some housekeeper.

Five babies were hatched from five tiny blue eggs. Quickly they grew and they grew and they grew until there were only four. One poor little creature, evidently the runt of the family, could not survive the competition for food. We found it dead one day on the porch.

The other four continued to grow. Then one day we saw a saucy little fledgling sitting on the edge of the nest. A short time later we looked and only three of Lady Finch's progeny remained.

A couple of days later another was sitting on the nest edge. It was vocal about it and sang a trilling tune to us. It, too, disappeared. Then there were two in a much roomier nest.

We surmised from this that the birds left their home in the order of appearance of the eggs in the nest.

We may have been wrong. A couple of evenings later the two kids left, full feathered and bright eyed, scrunched down when we looked in on them.

Mama evidently got them up early the next morning. When we went out for the paper about 7, both were gone. In all of this baby bird watching we never saw Lady Finch feed them, nor did we ever see them after they left. Did they simply take off in full flight at the right moment? We don't know.

One caveat. Birds are poor houseguests and terrible housekeepers. It took a half-hour to clean the door and wreath of the mess they left behind. You take them in at your own risk. No more baby birds here!

A friend has had a similar incident at her home. There, also, were five eggs in the nest at first, but then there appeared a larger, speckled one. The lady of the house is wondering what will come from this stray. Time alone will tell.

While walking through their yard, a couple noticed there were many petals on the ground under a blooming pink honeysuckle. The parts of the flowers seemed fresh, and there had been no wind or rain to blow them there. During close observation, they noticed a purple finch pulling off a small portion of the flower, then putting its bill inside to gather the nectar, then moving to another flower, repeating the process. The riddle was solved.

~Mary Blue is a resident of Cape Girardeau and an avid gardener.