Bells of Ireland

Bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis) are new to me. Though I’ve seen them plenty in magazines, I never held one in my hand until I grew them from seed this year. As I suspected, they’re not from Ireland at all, but are originally from Turkey, Syria, and surrounding regions.

I have developed a little crush on them—the celery green “bells” start out with a fuzzy, pale pink dot in each center which develops into a near-microscopic pink and white orchid-type structure as the bells mature. The scent is fresh citrus/mint/pine and reminds me of eating light green Douglas Fir shoots as a kid in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.

Also in bloom: Foxglove, Zinnia, Lily, Cosmos, Sweet Pea, Basil, Honeysuckle.