How to Grow Lovage in Coastal Georgia

If you have ever given up on trying to grow fickle celery in your vegetable garden, but want its distinctive taste in your cooking, try growing lovage instead. Lovage is a native of Europe, especially in the south, and has been growing there for more than six hundred years. The seeds, stem, and leaves all taste like a cross between celery and parsley. And, best of all, it is perennial. With a little care, your lovage will pop back up every spring.

Coastal Georgia is very different from the cool conditions that lovage is used to but it will still do well here. The most important consideration is garden placement. Lovage can grow to be four or more feet tall and can shade other plants if not placed carefully. It will need some protection from the summer sun, especially in the afternoon so planting in dappled shade on the east side of the house is ideal.

Lovage can be grown from seed or can be purchased as a plant in garden stores. Germination from seed can take upwards of a month and is very hit-and-miss. Either purchase the plant at a nursery or take a root cutting from a friend's garden for best results. Lovage prefers well-composted light soil. Take the time to prepare the planting bed with a composted manure dug into at least two feet. Lovage roots do not like being disturbed so preparing the bed properly before planting is important.

Lovage needs to be well-watered throughout the hot Coastal Georgia summer. The plant will be at its peak in the late spring and will slowly die back over the summer with some regrowth expected in the cooler fall. The plant may completely disappear over the winter but will come back up from the root in the spring. Divide lovage every five years or so to spread the thick roots out.

Harvesting Lovage

Lovage can be lightly harvested the first season and fully after that. Leaves, stems, and seeds can all be used. Leaves can be snipped individually, leaving the stalks to produce more. Stems can be harvested at their base like rhubarb. Cut cleanly with a sharp paring knife or snip with scissors. The stems may take on a stronger flavor later in the year. Lovage produces large seedheads like dill or parsley and the entire head can be harvested when the seeds begin to dry.

Using Lovage

Lovage is an old-fashioned herb that is not often grown in gardens anymore. Once you start using it in your everyday cooking, however, you will wonder how you ever did without it.

Lovage seeds can be used like celery seeds either ground or whole. Their taste will be stronger than celery so use sparingly until you get a feel for it.

Lovage leaves can be used whole or chopped in salads including bean salads and egg salads- anywhere you would use celery raw. You can also chop it finely like parsley and use it in toppings like gremolota.

The stems of lovage can be chopped finely and used in soups and stews to impart a celery flavor. They can also be steeped as a tea to help digestive upset. Both the stems and the leaves can be frozen but it will affect the texture, rendering it unfit for raw preparations.