Do you love Lovage - should you? Lovage is from the same family as celery (umbelliferae). It grows the same, long hollow stalks with lots of leaves at the top. The first difference you notice about lovage is that it grows about 20 times bigger than you average celery - its true! My own lovage is approximately 10 feet tall. The next thing you notice is that you can't kill it - I whack mine down to the ground about 3 time during the summer - it keeps growing back. Lovage can be enjoyed as you would celery - it has a somewhat stronger flavour. The leaves can be dried and used like bay leaves to flavour soups and stews. The seeds can be used in place of celery seed in pickles etc. Dry leaves on a screen and store as any other herb - cool and dark.
Lovage has fallen out of favor, but in medieval to post renaissance times, it was a favorite in the garden. Medicinally Lovage root and seeds are diuretic and also acts as a carminative (eases gas). In its good old days it was used for jaundice, boils, rheumatism, malaria, sore throat and kidney stones. Recent studies have proven that it is at least a very good diuretic.
Lovage loves potatoe salad, or even boil a few leaves with your potatoes to enhance their flavour. Add diced stalks or leaves poultry stuffings, tomatoe dishes, rice, pates.
Once lovage is established you can harvest stalks, leaves and even hunks of root as you need them. Lovage will grow in almost any old dirt and you can't aggravate it enough to kill it. If you have an open sunny corner or want a plant people will ask " what is that?," about - lovage is for you.
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