Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a perennial plant that creates a dense rosette of leaves that resemble cellery leaves in the first year of cultivation and sprouts flowering stalks in the following years. The whole plant excretes an intense aroma, also resembling cellery aroma. Lovage finds its use as seasoning plant, but its decorative habit allows it to play an ornamental role, too. Leaves, roots and seeds of lovage are used as seasoning. Leaves may be used fresh or dried in soups, salads, boiled fish, scrambled eggs and meat dishes. Ground lovage roots are used in stock cubes and other herbal mixes, while its seeds that have anise-like taste, are added to marinated vegetables and mushrooms or used for sprinkling boiled potatoes and rice.

All parts of lovage are rich in essential oils, vitamins, sugars and resin. Lovage stimulates appetite and improves functioning of the digestive system. It is considered a strong aphrodisiac in folk medicine.

You may grow lovage on a border or in a pot, where it would look amazing. You should select deep pots for container cultivation in order to provide lovage roots with enough space to develop. The soil needs to be fertile and permeable. Sunny sites work best in lovage cultivation, but this plant will also tolerate partial shade. Lovage seeds are sown in April, two per hole, maintaining 20 - 30 cm spacings between them. These plants need regular watering during the whole vegetation period. Lovage achieves its seasoning properties in the second year of cultivation. This plant will winter on balconies, provided it is covered. The overground part dies in winter to grow back abundantly in spring. Greens for the seasonings are harvested from May to September. You may grow this plant in a container for many years, remembering to exchange the container for a bigger one every four years.

Package contains 0.5 g of Home Garden lovage seeds, as well as the sow-by date and growing instructions.

• Weight: 0.5 g
• Use: fresh or dried leaves in soups, salads, boiled fish, scrambled eggs and meat dishes; ground roots in stock cubes and in marinades
• Harvest time: May - September
• Vegetation form: perennial
• Flower type: dense rosettes of cellery-like leaves
• Site: sunny or partially shady; fertile, permeable soil