山中的茴香草又開花了。細長高大的杆子上撐開著簇擁著一片片的黃花，豔麗明亮，芳香陣陣，引來無數蜜蜂，蝴蝶，花青蟲(最後一張),還有像我們這樣的觀賞者駐足回眸。
 

我是個南方人，以前並不知茴香草，對茴香草並沒有太多的情懷。偶遇它是兩年前的一個秋日。自己的爬山隊因為人員不齊，周六的活動取消了。我風聞別組也在附近爬山，就欣然加入。就那麽唯一的一次，一個河北男子指著斜坡上的快要幹枯的植物說，那是茴香，並順手采下點籽，說明年春天種在自己後院。他說起的茴香餃子好像是世界上最好吃的食物。

第二年的夏天，我在我們重複走了無數次的山上又一次遇見它。夏天的南加，幹旱得山荒嶺禿。而就在那片貧脊 的土地上，卻婷婷玉立著它，如須如絲的綠葉，徑直的杆上綻放著黃色的花朵。雖然它跟印象中幹枯的樣子大相徑庭，然而它那獨特的芳香還是喚醒了那留存在我記憶中的香味，讓我記起那就是茴香。

隊友中有不少北方人，在我告訴他們這就是茴香草之後，喜悅之餘，還半信半疑。采了一把回家，用很少量的試了試，鑒定完之後，高興得像李時珍發現了新草藥，知道這個店裏很少有賣的茴香其實就在我們身邊，他們從此可以一解茴香餃子/茴香餅之饞。秋天，我們相約著一起采籽；今年春天，家家戶戶的後院都種上了茴香。

雖然我還是吃不慣茴香，然在我，那是大自然的芳香被我帶回了家中。當我獨自一人在院子時, 看著它的花瓣，聞著它沁人心脾的芳香，想起的是夏日山中的清涼和氣息。

Fennel is in full bloom again, on the hills and in the backyard. Its beautiful yellow flowers spread out upright，while its unique aroma attracts dozens of bees to buzz around, and occasionally a few butterflies to sit on the top, enjoying the nectar.

I am from southern China. Fennel is not something that we recognize or eat. Getting to know it quite coincidental. One fall Saturday morning two years ago, I joined another neighboring team for a hike when my own team was cancelled for the activity. The gentleman in the team, who is from Hebei, pointed to a withering stalk when he picked up the seeds, telling me that it is the fennel, and that he would be sowing them next spring. This is the first time I saw it. 

Summer came the following year. The trail that we have repeatedly hiked week after week was now even more boring, when the prolonged drought deprived hills of almost all the living green. Except in the valley, where oak trees survive, the hill top was just barren with only some drought resistant plants wearily standing there. Against such backdrop, anything green would easily catch our eyes. One morning, on the way back, a plant with green needle-shaped leaves, bloomed on the roadside, beautifully and resiently under the sun. Vaguely, it looked familiar, and it is the unique spectacular aroma from the leaves that awakened me. It is fennel. I never knew that its flowers could be so abundant and pretty. 

My teammates were thrilled to learn that, as fennels are not easily available in the supermarket, and they have been absent from their cuisine for so long. Their excitement gave away their craving for the flavor. 

We ended up seeing more of them later on. When the fall finally arrived last year, we hiked to pick the seeds, and planted in our backyard this spring. To me, the fennel is not food ingredient; it is more of a sight to remind me of its place and beauty in the wilderness.