Fennel was a plant of protective power and thrives in the bed devoted to “Plants Used in Medieval Magic and Witchcraft” in Bonnefont Cloister Herb Garden. The umbels of delicate yellow flowers yield pale-green fruits that ripen and brown at the end of summer. As a seasoning, a foodstuff, and a cure for a host of ills, fennel would be just as much at home in the bed of “Plants Used in the Medieval Kitchen” or in one of several beds of “Medicinal Plants.” Most plants had more than one use. Photograph by Barbara Bell.