Fennel - How many should I sow?

Are you sure it wasn't a beanstalk? A naughty kid didn't try to climb it did he?

 

Do what I do...... Sow the whole packet (of all seeds bahaha!!)! Great fun !

 

I would do if I had enough space for cell trays all in one go. I'm just wondering how quickly I could prepare a patch in the front garden for a direct sowing. The front is currently mostly lawn, and largely untouched since we moved here 4 years ago (I've been focusing on the much larger, much more private, back garden), but the front gets all the sun.

I am going to put the front garden to use at some point, but I'm just think we're in May now, and by the time I've turned it over a couple of times, mixed in some compost or manure (the soil in the front is very poor), and got it all to seed bed standard, it might be a bit late for sowing most stuff.

 

I seem to have naff germination of old saved fennel seeds, but probably sufficient for my needs this year.