The Fragrant Note

This is about the herb, Lovage.  I received a start of this plant from my good friend, Vicki Sorensen.  This plant has thrived, and now it is blooming beautifully.

It’s been such an adventure to get, plant, and nurture.  But I’ve now reached a point of: what next?  NOW what do I do with it?  How do I harvest it, how do I use it, which part of the plant do I use, which part do I throw away?

First, the fun.  The branches are hollow!  My children used them as straws at one luncheon and had a great time.

The part of the plant you eat, kind of a mock celery, are the leaves and thin, small branches.  They add a delightful, deep green to a salad, or make a nice snack as you weed the garden.

We tried to eat some of the hollow, large branches–Wow! bitter and tough.  But the small branches cut up nicely and chew well.  The leaves taste celery-like and, of course, are good for you.

It has been remarkably easy to tend, surviving even through our harsh winter, some lack of water, and wind storms.

Lovage is a good plant to have in your garden.  It is a successful, low-maintenance plant and an excellent substitute for celery, considering the high price of some of your greens, and doesn’t take much attention.