borage | Borago officinalis
borage or Borago officinalis
- Position: full sun or light shade
- Soil: moist, fertile
- Rate of growth: fast
- Flowering: June to September
- Hardiness: hardy annual
A wonderfully useful as well as decorative plant. The young leaves and vivid blue flowers of this annual herb have a fresh cucumber-like flavour, so are often used in salads, soups, chilled drinks or simply as a garnish. The flowers attract bees and other beneficial insects, while the foliage has been known to reduce attacks of hornworm when planted between tomato plants. At the end of the year, add the plants to the compost heap as they will promote many beneficial minerals. Borage is an annual plant, but it will self-seed readily in good conditions. Dead-heading the flowers as soon as they fade reduces self-seeding.
Avoid root disturbance by planting it in a spot that they can settle into and keep well watered during drier periods. To prevent self-seeding, deadhead the spent flowers before the seed has a chance to ripen.
Form shallow drills at 30cm intervals in a well prepared bed, and sow thinly, just covering the seed before watering well. The seeds have a higher germination rate when temperatures are between 15-25°C, so early sowings can be covered with a cloche. When big enough to handle, thin the seedlings to 25cm.
Goes well with...
-
heartease
heartsease or Viola 'Tricolor'
approx 75 seeds
-
dill 'Dukat'
dill or Anethum graveolens 'Dukat'
approx 500 seeds
-
chives
chives
approx 300 seeds
-
rocket - salad
salad rocket or Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa
approx 1000 seeds
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Wooden flower and herb press with screws
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Galvanised metal portable planting trough - Crocus green frame
49 × 21 × 17.5cm