Fennel at the County Fair

All around the State, it is County Fair time.  To find one near you, check out the Wisconsin Association of Fairs website where you will find a listing from now through the end of September.  This blog is about our All-American Selection bed.  WELCOME to the County Fair Garden ... originally known as an agriculture show in the mid-1700s, it has always been about fair goers co-mingling with the exhibitors of livestock and horticulture achievements. Whether cows or chickens, fresh or canned goods, everyone’s a winner with the educational exchange of ideas and practices at perhaps the original “Family a-Fair.”

Reminder:  The Twilight Garden Tour is August 14 starting at 4:00 pm at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station Teaching & Display Garden.  

​Fennel Antares F1 is another #AASWinners in this bed that is described by All-American Selections:  
 
2017 AAS Edible – Vegetable Winner
This winner is a “First in Class,” as AAS has never before trialed and declared a fennel an AAS Winner. What is extremely fun about this winning plant is its many uses: as an edible bulb; for its ornamental fronds; as a seed producer; and as a favorite food of pollinators, namely swallowtail caterpillars. The AAS Judges described Antares as a very uniform, pure white, beautiful plant with a much improved, almost sweet, licorice/anise flavor as compared to other market varieties. It was also 7-10 days slower to bolt than comparison varieties. Many AAS Judges said they plan to plant this easy-to-grow fennel in their own gardens next year!
 
 
This is part of a series of blog posts featuring the All-American Selections Display Gardens.
What is All-American Selections?  As written on their website: “All-America Selections is an independent non-profit organization that tests new, never-before-sold varieties for the home gardener. After a full season of anonymous trialing by volunteer horticulture professionals, only the top garden performers are given the AAS Winner award designation for their superior performance.”  The Spooner Teaching and Display Garden is one of eight AAS display gardens in Wisconsin.
 
​Come to the Spooner Teaching and Display Garden to see over 600 plants that have been planted in the display beds.  The planting of both the display and vegetable beds is now complete and each day there is more to see as the season progresses.
  
The Teaching and Display Garden can be found on Orchard Lane and is located 1.5 miles east of Spooner on State Highway 70 or 1/2 mile west of Highways 70/53 interchange.  It is open to the public daily in the growing season during daylight hours.