Borage

[Reinbeau]

Yep, edible flowers and a great bee plant - see my avatar

 

[ducks4you]

I love borage too. Start saving seeds, or make sure the plants are located somewhere that the seeds can drop and re-seed on their own. Borage will not winter over for you (or me, in zone 7).

Well, here we are with snow, BUT, I noticed that my borage kept going well into November. My herb garden is surrounded by ground level bricks, that gets full sun and pretty good drainage, and most of my herbs re-seed themselves year after year. Interestingly, though, my bee-balm has only spread about one foot, though I've been warned that it would take over. The common and Russian sage pretty much never really dies. The oregano take seriously, "Go forth and multiply." The chives faithfully come back every year and my white lilies flank them. The dill waved at me in the breeze all summer. This is second time I've had a nice patch of basil, but it won't re-seed itself for me. I have to start it inside, then transplant.
I gave up on the wettest part of this little garden and planted malvia (common), cosmos, and sweet peas. DD tells me how nice it is to smell when you walk from the garage to the house every spring, summer and fall day. row

 

[lesa]

I am a big fan of borage. This is my first year with it, here in zone 4. It stayed alive until it was buried in snow. Now, we have to wait and see if it reseeds itself. Fingers crossed! I found the flowers to be delicious!

 

[ninny]

Oh bummer! I could have bought some seeds. Next time i'm in town i'll have to get some.

 

[freshfood]

I am a big fan of borage. This is my first year with it, here in zone 4. It stayed alive until it was buried in snow. Now, we have to wait and see if it reseeds itself. Fingers crossed! I found the flowers to be delicious!

My mom lives up in the Heldebergs (the northern foothills of the Catskills, about 25 miles south of Albany). She's had borage in her garden for over 40 years. It always comes back. Don't be fooled by the relatively southern location; she's at a high enough elevation that her growing season is about a month shorter than Albany's, starts two weeks later in spring and ends two weeks earlier in the fall. Borage also grows wild along roads and around old house foundations etc. I can't imagine anywhere in upstate NY that it wouldn't grow as a perennial. I haven't gotten around to planting any yet; I'd sorta forgotten about it. We used to put the flowers on our salads, too. I'm sure your plants will perk up again several weeks from now!

 

[ducks4you]

That's good news, thanks!

 

[Hattie the Hen]

My chickens love it too. I scatter seeds every year. There is a white-flowered variety too.

Here are some recipes for borage:

http://www.herbexpert.co.uk/cooking-with-borage.html


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[GardeNerd]

Borage- Great Herb!

Yes, the chickens love the blue flowers here too! I keep it in the veggie garden to help attract pollinators. The chickens don't bother the foliage. It is a little fuzzy/ prickly on the leaves. The tortoise will eat it if there is nothing else better around.

I bought one 4" plant years ago, and have never had to save seed. It dies back by the end of summer and starts coming up everywhere when the winter rains come back. It is very easy to pull out when it comes up in a spot I don't want it, even when they are large plants.

 

[msbear]

Some people say to plant it near tomatoes.. that it adds to the flavor

 

[simple life]

I have heard that too and that if its planted with strawberries it makes them sweeter, planted with peas it makes them more tender, I don't know if any of its true but I just read it in a plant/veggie companion planting article the other day.
I grew some from seed last year and I think every darn one came up.
They were probably the easiest things I have ever grown from seed and they don't need to be coddled through the seedling stage, they just come up and do their own thing.
They do end up drooping alot when they get taller but there is nothing that can be done about that.
They are still a very pretty, easy plant.