[Carollan]

Last year,I grew parsley thickly in a long row for the first time,since I often have problems germinating the seeds outside.One plant flowered and gave me an amazing amount of seed.I sowed a lot of them this year.Again,I have several running to seed.

I keep reading parsley is a biennial.Is this a strict rule for the plant,or just a `usually `thing?

[sunshineband]

This year a lot of plants have been 'confused' due to the weather, so, yes, parsley is usually biennial, but....

... no-one told mine either 

[lancashiregardeninggal]

One of my old gardening books says that after the second season the tap root can be dug up and cooked and eaten - looks like parsnip - as a way of making full use of the plant - although I haven't tried this myself.

[Carollan]

Yes,the root idea I think must have been engineered into root parsley,I grew that this year.An interesting taste,though I planted them too close together and the roots are very thin and twisted.They will find their way into casseroles I guess