The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Herbs => Topic started by: loosey on March 30, 2011, 11:35:07 am
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If you've seen my post in the vegetable section, you'll know how useless my knowledge of gardening and growing is! But I'm hoping this will be my year to learn!
My OH has come up with an idea for making his own lovage cordial for next xmas ::) Could I grow this?
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I have one in a pot outside my front door. I ignore it 99% of the year and it survived temperatures of minus 19! It dies right down to under the ground in October ish, and I can see new shoots now from earlier this month. It might have an even longer season down with you. Don't know if you can grow it from seed I got mine as a rooted cutting from a friend that was having to dig it out as it had taken over a bit of her garden! Dead dead easy to keep!
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Oh wow! I thought I was going to be told "no way!"
Do you think it should be gorwn in it's own pot then (like mint etc) in case it tries to take over?!
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I think Marleen my pal would say that ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Mine grows to about 2 feet in height in the summer, and fills a one foot square plastic tub. Don't know why you though you couldn't grow it though.
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Yes you can grow lovage, I grew mine very sucesfully at the last place, lost it here this winter though as we are more exposed, so have got a plant from my mum and will try again :)
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only because I'm terrible at growing stuff! :-[ I could probably kill a potted dock plant without too much effort!
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Then we will all send you ours! ;D ;D ;D
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Haha! Unfortunately my magic dock killing skills don't extend to the ones in my fields! ::) ;)
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I grew lovage a few years ago when I lived in Fife. It was planted in the open ground and was at least 6 feet tall - maybe being in a pot stunts it. It is a large plant and I would think you could make all the cordial you could need from one fully grown plant. I never used it for anything so didn't take it with me on the various moves since then.
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I have a stand of lovage in my garden and like everyone says once it's established it just keeps coming back.
Mine grows in a shady corner where not much else will grow & it is very happy, just poking it's head above the ground right now.
I dry it and use it over the winter, in all the stocks I make, instead of celery.
Oh & I grew it from seed, before I knew much about that sort of thing & I didn't manage to kill it ;D
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mine is already 1 meter tall, last year it was enourmous. It's probably a bit late this year to send you a piece of the root ? .
Tell me more about the cordial??? I know on the Continent the sell a brew in bottles as a condiment for soups (Maggi), is that what your hubby is planning to make? :&>
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where can you get it? (I'm in Cornwall). I was suffering with a very heavy cold this winter and the publican in our local said 'have and brandy and lovage' and I did, and it tasted wonderful even though I don't normally like brandy very much. So. . . I won't need a cold if I can grow it!
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try your local allotment group, freecycle-freegle, or if all falls a garden centre? :&>
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Its best just put in the ground and left to get on with itself. We put it where nothing else will grow or we do not want anything else to grow. It make a great plant feeder too. Another recomendation that is much smaller but very good as a tinsane, especially for females, is Ladies Mantle.
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Forgot to add have you thought of elderflower cordial/champagne?
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Its best just put in the ground and left to get on with itself. We put it where nothing else will grow or we do not want anything else to grow. It make a great plant feeder too. Another recomendation that is much smaller but very good as a tinsane, especially for females, is Ladies Mantle.
A tisane - that's a herbal tea, isn't it? Ladies Mantle - is that Alchemilla Mollis?(if so, it spreads like wildfire - like a weed) What are the properties of such a tea?
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Yes it Alchemilla (three species of it native I think in the UK). Its good for bleeding and wounds, internal and external. Sheep like it when they can get hold of it. Yep it does go for it in the garden, but no more so than lovage and its easy to get rid of.