Borage Seeds
Useful gardening information
Borage is a freely seeding, easy growing annual plant with vivid blue flowers and leaves with the flavor of cucumbers. It is consider an herb, but is often grown as a flower in vegetable gardens where it attracts pollinating bees and is considered a good companion plant for tomatoes, squash and strawberries. It's even supposed to deter tomato hornworms and improve the flavor of tomatoes growing nearby.
Borage is actually a somewhat gangly plant, but you barely notice it because the star-shaped flowers are so vibrant. They're a true blue, hanging in downward facing clusters. Even the fuzzy white buds are attractive. Both the flowers and the leaves are edible, with a cucumber-like flavor. Use the leaves while they are young, because as the plant matures, the stalks and leaves become covered with a prickly fuzz.
Borage grows best if direct seeded. Barely cover the seeds with soil and keep well watered. They are tolerant of any type soil, even poor dry soil. However a sunny location with rich, well draining soil is optimal.
If you choose to start seedlings, transplant before they become pot bound. Plan to start seedlings about 3-4 weeks before the last expected frost and do not transplant outdoors until the soil has warmed.
Once seedling are about 2-3" tall, thin to approximately 12" apart.
Links to useful information on the web:
Borage, It's what for dinner.
Borage Recipes
HR370 Borage ( Borage officinalis )
Borage herb seeds produces beautiful star-shaped white flowers and textured leaves. Borage benefits include beauty in the garden, attraction for bees and a great addition to summer drinks. Borage Bianca is compact, later flowering and sturdier than standard borage. Excellent in pots.
Plant this unusual 24 inch annual herb for its pure ornamental value, to attract much-coveted bees to your garden, and to harvest for teas and other summer drinks. When young, the cucumber flavored leaves may be added to salads. The flowers (which are excellent for cutting and have a long vase-life) are used as garnishes (in cold drinks like ice tea and lemonade) or added to salads. Cut sprays of Borage all summer long to garnish and add flavor to cold drinks and salads! Borage plants are also considered to be a great companion plant for vegetable gardens and orchards because of the attraction of bees to the blue flowers. Plant Borage seeds where pollination is needed! Borage is sometimes called Starflower or Bee Bread.
Borage is a hardy annual which means that the seeds can be sown outside in the early spring, or even in the fall and overwintered in the soil ready to come up at the first signs of spring.
Borage seeds need complete darkness to germinate. Plants grow 2-3 feet tall.
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