"Growing Borage in your herb garden."
Borage has many medicinal properties and has been used over centuries for treating various ailments - from sore throats to poultices for swellings.  Nowadays we tend to just chop up the leaves, which are cucumber-flavoured and add them to the salad bowl :-) However, a cup of borage tisane every day drives away stress and worry, and should be tried.The flowers can be candied and used to decorate special occassion cakes. The borage plant is rather droopy and boring until the flowers starburst all over it. The blue is an awesome colour. And growing borage will attract bees and butterflies to your garden.
Borage may overwhelm your heart with gladness, but it will also overwhelm your garden if you're not careful. Borage is a hardy plant and will tolerate most growing conditions, but needs to be controlled. Borage likes full sun and although it's not too fussy, the plants will be bushier and healthier if grown in a rich soil. Add lots of well-rotted compost before planting. Once borage finds it's home, it will probably seed itself - depending on your climate - and you'll need to watch for baby plants turning up all over the place! Borage can also be successfully grown in containers indoors or out, but make sure you place the pot in a very sunny position.  Growing borage - planting:Plant out small plants or seed after the last frost. Borage likes a well-drained soil, but needs to be kept moist. The plant will suffer if too dry. Borage grown in containers needs to be watered regularly. Sow your seeds thinly in short lines. Borage plants grow fairly big, and will eventually need about 12 inches of space each. When the seedlings are large enough carefully remove some and re-plant somewhere else or in pots to give away as gifts. Having said that, borage doesn't always transplant well though.Sow a few seeds every few weeks to keep a good supply going. Check on the seed packet for your region's individual sowing instructions for growing borage but in general sow your seed when the soil is warm enough in the spring and all danger of a frost has passed. Thompson and Morgan, award winning online suppliers have borage seed available for UK deliveries.... As long as you keep the small plants weed-free and watered, borage should get quickly established in your garden. Make sure your borage plants never dry out, and watch out for the take-over bid... Next spring get out there early in the year and dig up all the baby plants that will appear! In very cold winters, it's possible borage may die off and you will need to sow again every year. Growing Borage - storing:As with all herbs, borage is best used fresh, but can be stored in different forms... Drying: Dry the leaves and flowers to make tisanes during the winter months. In a dark airy place, hang the stems or dry on trays, turning regularly. When completely dry, store in airtight glass jars. Keep out of direct light. Freezing: Freeze the tiny blue flowers in ice cubes or freeze quickly on trays and store in sealable freezer bags. Label.I've never tried freezing the leaves. They seem too floppy already! Preserving: If you want to make every possible use of your plant, you could always preserve the flowers in sugar!Candied borage flowers have been used for years as cake decorations. Growing borage - for health!:As mentioned above, apart from going to work on the 'feel-good' glands, borage has been used in many different medicinal remedies.It is said to reduce swellings when applied as a poultice, and has been used as a gargle to treat sore throats. NB: As with all herbal remedies, you should take care before experimenting. Happy Gardening! Grow Your Own Winter Food: A good diet incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is a must if you want to stay fit and healthy and keep the bugs at bay during the cold winter months. Growing your own winter food is just one way of ensuring you get the freshest, tastiest produce packed with goodness straight from the garden to the kitchen table. This easy-to-follow self-sufficiency book shows you how to grow your own fruit and vegetables for winter use and includes facts on each fruit, vegetable or herb as well as nutritional value, recipe ideas and storage suggestions.  Grow Your Own Winter Food is perfect for those with limited gardening experience, with gardens big or small who are looking to become more self-sufficient. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow Your Own Winter Food Grow It, Cook It!: Many crops, including herbs, can be produced in a relatively small space with a little pre-planning and organizing: in containers, on a balcony, and indoors. Herbs are perfect for enhancing the flavour of cooking, treating minor ailments, and preventing colds and flu. Your own back garden will not only produce the best food on the planet for you and your loved ones, it is also economical, environmentally friendly and more fun than shopping. Gardening is more than a hobby; it's a way of life. .  This book provides all the information you need to keep your family and friends healthy, fit and enjoying life to the full. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow It, Cook It! Grow Your Own Pharmacy: If, like me, you want to be able to eat the best food on the planet, grow your own!  • Clear instructions on planning, planting, growing and harvesting the fruits, vegetables and herbs required for a healthy vitamin intake. • Recipes and menus to help incorporate the fruit and vegetables into your daily diet. Grow Your Own Pharmacy Herbs and Spices: Some herbs grow vigorously, some are tender and need special growing conditions, some are annuals, some perennials, some you can grow indoors, all can be grown in pots or directly into the ground. There are also certain spices, such as chillies, that can be grown in temperate climates.  This clear and concise directory of herbs and spices provides all the essential information to help you grow a selection of these flavour-enhancing foods in small or large spaces. Ideas for which herbs and spices go best with which foods also accompany each description, so that you can really enliven your repertoire of recipes. Order it now direct from the publisher... Herbs and Spices Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense is packed full of great ideas and tips. Granny brings traditional home-making up to date with cooking, gardening, needlecrafts and even games to play with the kids...Click on the link below to order your copy.  Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore and preparing nourishing home cooked meals for the family will certainly keep them away from the goodie shelf. Gardening encourages physical exercise and a good healthy dollop of fresh air. And you can get the kids involved too. Before the days of computer games and electronic pets, children used to have fun without rummaging about in the fridge every five minutes. Enjoy a few rainy-day games and crafts of yesteryear with today’s kids. They’ll love it and so will you! Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense Back To Garden Herbs Back to Flower and Garden Tips Homepage Click here to subscribe to "Creative Gardening" - Your FREE monthly ezine. www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/growingborage.html |
