BORAGE BLUE

The everlasting Pimms companion! Deep royal blue flowers simply smother the plant there are so many.

Borage is a fabulous source of nectar for bees and other insects. It is a wonderful companion plant for the vegetable garden attracting pollinators for crops such as tomatoes, aubergines and courgettes.

The hairy Borage leaves have a refreshing, mild cucumber flavour and can be eaten in salads or soups, brewed to make a refreshing tea, or eaten with cream cheese and of course added to ice cubes to make attractive additions to summer drinks.

Borage is easy to grow and happy in herb gardens or containers, but it does have a tendency to spread rapidly.

Borage seeds can be started indoors in spring using trays or pots, alternatively it can be direct sown outside when all risk from frost has passed. Choose a sunny, sheltered site with rich, well-drained soil. Simply rake over the seed bed to ensure that it is level and scatter seeds thinly over the surface. Rake the soil back over the seeds and water well. Thin the young plants to 30cm apart, keep weed free and water in dry weather.