The Latin name is Levisticum officinale, common folk names include Sea Parsley, and Love Root, Italian Parsley, Love Parsley and Love Rod. But who put the love in Lovage? According to my copy of RD Magic and Medicine of Plants, "the name goes back to a Latin word meaning "Ligurian", because the herb flourished in ancient times in Liguria, a region that includes the Italian Riviera". Over time the name has been, shall we say, lost in translation...and somehow became lovache or love parsley. Lovage has a special place of its own in my garden. I look for it to return each spring, larger than it was the year before. ...and I await the celery like aroma that the leaves give off when I brush past it.
Rhubarb is among the other things that are presently up around the riverrim, the list includes but is not limited to:
- Angelica
- Bloodroot
- Black Cohosh
- comfry
- chive
- Dicentra
- Hellebore
- Violets
- Lungwort
- Lady's mantle
- Mayapple
- Sweet Cicely
- Santolina
- Rhubarb
- Marsh Marigold
- Monarda
14 comments:
Wow! Too early here. The Angelica is getting more beautiful by the day. I guess it will be living in the pot for another 6 weeks.
I will have to take a walk around the "back forty" and see what is up down here. Your garden always starts before mine and you miss some of my first frosts too. Interesting little micro climates!!!
One of my favorite lovage uses is to take the bigger stalks (they're hollow) at the end of the season and use them for drinking straws in a Bloody Mary. The celery flavor really comes through. And don't my friends think I'm fancy!
I've never heard of Lovage. Does it taste like celery? Did you plant from seeds or ?
Our rhubarb is beggin to be cut. I just might have to make a rhubarb pie tomorrow. Perfect for the cold rainy day that's predicted.
Mom made rhubarb pie last weekend; wonderful! Not much else is up here, and the asparagus spears that had ventured up were frozen off!
Judy- Watch out for that Angelica, it gets big fast!
Anne- I love rhubarb, great stuff!
Judy- It is amazing the difference in our gardens, and we are just a few miles apart!
Nancyjane- Oh that is a great tip for using up the loveage! I must try it...hey, maybe I could use up some of the tomatoes too....
Fiberjoy- like strong celery ...or Fenugreek...you can start from seed, but it is easier if someone would give you a piece of it....
reckon the rain 'll ruin the rhubarb??
Cathy- glad to introduce you to something you don't know...I'm usually learning from you!
Leslie- YUM! too bad about the asparagus...more will come...
Now they are talking about getting a foot of snow! Is my calendar wrong? I thought it was April 14th!
I've never known of L~o~V~a~g~e..I do love the name!I'm in a cold zone 6 garden and did manage a few brave blooms this Sunday! Nice to meet a fellow gardener..
I'm from Canada! :)NG
Cyndy... thanks for your comment on my blog this morning. I guess we "zone 5" gardeners are learning that the zone isn't about when things happen, but how low the temperature can go. We had sleet yesterday, but today we should get into the 50's and then see gradual improvement through the week. Then things will really start moving along.
Hi Carol!
Thanks for your comment too! That usda zone map leaves a big question mark in my mind sometimes. I suppose it is a useful guide, when you purchase a plant and don't know if it will tolerate the cold temperatures...but it leaves out other information (like snow cover, or summertime heat)...like you say...we gardeners are always learning. ...and thank goodness for that too, because that is what makes it so much fun....
My local map tells me that the last frost date in my area should be around April 15...but my neighbor...an "old timer" tells me that in this area, he wouldn't trust planting anything until after May 30th.
I really enjoy the garden bloggers' bloom day...great idea...thanks for hosting it!
You made me laugh.. "blurt out" !! Course us gardeners would blurt out things like that, wouldn't we.
My Mom grows lovage too, she calls it a "maggi plant" claiming it tastes like maggi.
Great photos of life bursting in your garden. Isn't this time of year so wonderful as things com back to life once more ?
I've never tried that plant. If I can find some this year, I'll pop some in somewhere. Other than a drinking straw for a Bloody Mary, what else can you use it in?
Loveage can be used anywhere you would use celery, just use it sparingly...(ex)use small young shoots and leaves chopped up with egg salad....or in soups and stews.
I like to dry the leaves and mix them into my own seasoned salt...
It is a great herb...
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