what in the world?

Is that plant?

My little corner of the world has become a place where people pause. Whether they are out for a walk, passing by with a baby in a stroller, or delivering their daughter to softball practice across the street-I have a plant growing that stops them in their tracks.

In fact, so many people were stopping to ask me what it was, I printed a sign to put in the garden.

People would guess, broccoli?  Caulilower?  (seriously...I am not making that up....)

It's Lovage.  An herb.  I bought one little plant a few years ago, and planted it in my back yard near Charlie's bedroom window.  It has since self seeded in several spots in my yard, and cheerfully grows to amazing heights.

This is the perfect spot for it, several plants are growing tall and provide a little privacy for me when I sit on my patio at night with my wine and book, or in the morning with my coffee and newspaper.

Here it is again, adding some textural interest to a back garden.  These pictures were taken about three weeks ago, all of these plants are now almost twice the size you are seeing here.

The original plant has grown so huge, last night I trimmed at least eight stalks of it, they were all well over 7 feet tall.   And it will just keep growing, all summer long.

Here is the info from the sign:

Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a plant, the leaves and seeds or fruit of which are used to flavor food, especially in South European cuisine. It is a tall (3 to 9 ft) perennial that vaguely resembles its cousin celery in appearance and in flavor.

The fruit of the lovage plant can be used as a spice. The root of lovage, which contains a heavy, volatile oil, is used as a mild aquaretic.

Lovage is considered a "magic bullet" companion plant; much as borage helps protect almost all plants from pests, so lovage is thought to improve the health of almost all plants.

It is also a word used to describe love, although this is only used by those who are not aware of the vegetable meaning of the word.

I haven't tried it in any recipes yet, but I think I may have to hunt some down and see what I can come up with.  If you are looking for an unusual plant to add some fun to your garden, look for it at places that sell a variety of herbs.

Just remember, you have been warned about it's self seeding capabilities....