Topic: Borage

[Mrs Ava]

Am growing Borage from seed thanks to some seeds taken from one of the pass the parcels.  I want it for the lovely flowers but what I want to know is.....is it a thug?  Should I take care where I plant it?  And other than the flowers...what other uses are there?  I could google, but you guys have first hand experience and will be honest rather than text book - so come on allotmenteers and gardeners.....tell me all I need to know about Borage.  ;D

[Deb P]

It's lovely, but it is inclined to self seed everywhere. I wouldn't describe it as a thug though, and it's hairy leaves are pretty easy to identify and remove if it goes somewhere you don't want it to. I'm going to be introducing it to my plot later this year..... ;D

[Barnowl]

a bit off thread but it looks great in a glass of Pimms

[Mrs Ava]

Perfectly on thread barnowl....that is the good advice I need.  ;D  It germinated really easily, so I can well imagine it jumping around.  I will give it a corner and let it do it's thing maybe.

[saddad]

They don't transplant well unless the soil is damp and you get them very young... You could knick some from 119 Deb...
 ;D

[Biscombe]

Keep a check on it cos it grows like a weed! if you want to pull it he hairs can be a bit painful, wear gloves! PS the flowers are lovely in salads too xx

[Robert_Brenchley]

It doesn't like being transplanted much, but I've done it successfully. It seeds everywhere, but it's very easily recognised and pulled out. So it's not a thug.

[onionhead]

Borage is well worth having on the plot; I dot it about where I can. Self-seeding is assured (to me that's just charming for some strange reason) but it's never too widespread or thuggish:

http://www.purplesage.org.uk/profiles/borage.htm

[theothermarg]

why why why does it always seem to self seed in the wrong place and it is a pig to transplant  the bee,s love it so do i
marg

[manicscousers]

we use it as a green manure, pull it before it seeds...well, we leave some to seed..throw it on the compost, it's got lovely, crispy stems and leaves  :)

[Mrs Ava]

Thanks for that weblink onionhead.  Very interesting.  Daughter suffers with eczema, so anything natural that I can use for her is a bonus!  Also read about the seed oil being good for high blood pressure treatment....something I suffer from....will have to investigate more.

[Heldi]

It gives me a rash if I handle it...not the flowers I hasten to add..the foliage is quite prickley. 

The flowers frozen in ice cubes then used in drinkies.  How divine is that dahlinks !

[Trevor_D]

It is a bit of a weed - ours self-seeds everywhere! You can use it as a liquid feed, just like comfrey. (Except it's not as nitrogen-rich. OH is in charge of liquid feeds - if no-one else chips in first with the difference, I'll ask her advice.)

It's good on the compost heap too, and doesn't have those nasty roots that break off & regrow like comfrey.

[Trevor_D]

PS - And the bees love it!

[angle shades]

:)

lets put it this way EJ, once you've got it you will never be without it,and neither will your neighbours!

I find its a magnet for blackfly, so a great companion plant,

It also gives me a rash, so agree wear gloves when pulling up( great on the compost heap) /shades x

[Mrs Ava]

Super.  Thanks for all the advice.  I might keep it in the front garden.  I have stripped out a rubbish piece of grass that seperates our drive from our neighbours and have planted is with some small shrubs and bulbs that I have acquired from work when doing garden clearances.  It looks, and sounds pretty and ideal in that location where it can just roam, cover the bare ground and encourage beeees.  Plus the flowers will be nearby to plop into my pimms on those long summer afternoons!  ;D