lovage

2013-2017

Lovage is a perennial relative of the common celery. My neighbor in Belgium had a plant over 10 ft. tall and 5 ft. across. It froze back every winter, then sprouted again in spring. It tasted very similar to celery, but with a more intense flavor. A single leaf could flavor a soup just as much as half a head of celery.

Unfortunately, just like celery, lovage grows best in temperate climate. It really suffers in the summer desert heat here in southern New Mexico. I started lovage from seeds in 2013 and managed to keep one alive through sometime in 2017.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need:

lovage seeds
a shady spot

Pic1: a young lovage plant

Directions

Keep soil always moist but not wet.
It can take several weeks to months before the seeds germinate.
The plant dies back in winter.
Don't give up, keep watering occasionally and hope it sprouts again in spring. :-)

Pic2: 2013-08-26
Pic3: 2013-09-06
Pic4: 2014-03-31

Pic5: 2014-05-03
Pic6: nope, that one is celery
Pic7: 2017-05-07

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org