Borago officinalis, Blue 2.5gms ~ 125 Seeds

Blue flowers are always welcome in the garden: Borage is one of the most reliable sources, often flowering lavishly about 8 weeks after sowing and continuing until the first serious frosts. It grows best in full sun where it tends to have a more compact habit, but it easily tolerates a partial sun exposure. Although the flowering period is typically June to September, many plants extend that period.

The beautiful blue bell-shaped flowers are edible with a cool cucumber flavour. They can be crystallized or used as garnish in fruit cups, summer drinks, wines and Pimms. Garden visitors can be converted to herbal advocates simply by offering a taste of its flower!

Chopped leaves make a healthy soup or young leaves can be dipped in batter and lightly fried until crisp. Finely cut leaves make a delicious sandwich filling. A delightful, beautiful annual and a very important flower for bees providing both pollen and nectar in prodigious amounts!

Sowing: Sow early/ late spring indoors or direct in mid to late spring Sowing Indoors. Sow in Jan to Feb…normally 4-8 weeks before planting outside. Sow at 1.5mm (1/16in) deep in pots or trays in a good seed compost. Make sure the compost is moist but not wet and seal inside a polythene bag until germination which usually takes 5-21 days at 21°C (70°F).

Transplant the indoor seedlings when large enough to handle into boxes, spacing them 5cm (2in) apart. Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10-15 days before planting out after all risk of frost 15cm (6in) apart in full sun and ordinary well-drained soil. Borage is not suitable for container growing as it has a very long tap root.

Sowing Direct. Sow in March to April. Prepare the area well, marking the area to be sown with sand, Sow to a depth of 3mm (1/8in). Space 10-15cm (6in) apart. Water in well. Once seeds have germinated, check and thin out if necessary, any seedlings may be transplanted. The plants will grow quite fast and are quite recognisable from weeds, continue to water throughout periods without rain.

Plant Uses: Cottage/Informal Garden, Flowers Borders and Beds or Wildlife Plants. Important Bee plant, Culinary Herb

Companion Plants: Borage is excellent to grow alongside tomatoes and helps to improve strawberry crops, also attracts blackfly so a good companion plant for beans and peas