I love borage in the garden #gardening

LOVE growing borage in my garden! Not only is it a good beginner gardener annual but it’s got many benefits.

– flowers are edible and taste like cucumber. Fun in ice cubes for fancy drinks or on salads.

– early blooming flowers are pollinator magnets and support native bees

– tap roots are amazing at breaking up clay soil and pulling up nutrients from deep down

– the stems and leaves make great “green manure” to use as a natural fertilizer. I chop up the leaves and sprinkle on top of the soil so they can break down

A few things to also know:
– borage is an aggressive self seeder, meaning it will drop many seeds from the flowers after they’re spent. So unless you welcome the surprise volunteers (like I do) make sure to collect the seeds before they fall.

– as the plant matures the fuzzy “hairs” on the stem and leaves can get pokey. So wear thick gloves when collecting seeds & flowers.

– borage roots don’t like to be disturbed so it has never transplanted well for me from one spot to another. I always direct sow in the soil and not in seed starting trays.

I hope this motivated you to add borage to your garden!

#homegarden #beginnergardening #borage