Organic Herb Borage

Description

Organic Herb Borage. Borago officinalis.

A great all round little herb. Produces lots of nectar so it’s great for bees of all kinds, flowers here from June to October. The leaves and flowers have a cucumbery kind of taste. It’s an annual growing from around 60-80cms.

How to grow:
Sow seeds direct into sowing position in a well prepared seed bed from later March to July. Nice warm sunny ground will be best.

Problem solving:
There’s not a lot of bother growing them, just watch slugs on young plants.

Favourite ways to use them:
Young leaves are tasty chopped in salads as are the flowers – take off the hairy part (sepals) at the back. A tasty addition to soups. In Germany leaves are used to make Green sauce, in Italy a filling in pasta ravioli and in Poland to flavour gherkins. Can be used as a dried herb over winter.
A Green Manure:
Sow direct at 2.5g per sq metre. Dig into soil before seeding. Or wait and save the seed for next year. They’re ready when they turn black and are starting to fall off the plant naturally.

Cultural history:
Native to the Mediterranean it has naturalised across the world as it seeds readily. Oil pressed from the seed is also known as star flower oil and good for women’s monthly cycles.

Contents: 2g (~110 seeds – gardeners packet).