If you planted parsley last year, you may see it producing new leaves around about now. It’s worth understanding that in its second year, parsley will set about producing seeds which means that the leaves will be smaller and much less satisfying!
Parsley is actually a biennial, which means that it grows into a leafy plant in the first season and then after its first winter it goes on a mission to flower quickly and set seeds before it dies back for good. This is why the leaves are less satisfying in the second year -the plant is busy putting its energy into flowers and seeds.
Flowering parsley is not a bad thing to have in the veg patch. It attracts a number of natural predators which makes it a useful companion plant in the veg patch – it can attract hoverflies, wasps and flies that feed on aphids, cutworms and other garden pests, for example. Plus, if you let it self-seed, you might get some new plants coming through next year.
If you’d rather not let it flower/go to seed, we’d recommend pulling it up now and popping it in the compost pile. This will make space for new plants, whether that’s parsley or something else…!