Borage

Borage (Borago officinalis) – Offered by Le Potager Ornemental de Catherine

Borage is an annual honey plant prized for its starry blue flowers that attract large numbers of bees and pollinators . Very easy to grow, it is also a valuable companion plant in the vegetable garden , repelling certain harmful insects while enriching the soil.

In the kitchen, its edible flowers decorate and flavor dishes, while its young leaves , which taste like cucumber, are added to salads and soups .

Characteristics of the variety

Type : Annual
Plant habit : Erect and bushy
Height : 50 to 80 cm
Flowering : June to September
Flowers : Blue, sometimes pink or white
Foliage : Downy green, light cucumber flavor
Use : Ornamental, edible, medicinal, green manure
Tolerance : Resistant to drought and poor soils

?? Cultivation method

?? Exposure : Full sun or partial shade
?? Sowing :
• Direct sowing in May once the soil has warmed up
• Sow indoors in April for earlier flowering
?? Sowing depth : 1 cm
?? Germination temperature : 15-22°C
? Germination time : 7 to 14 days
?? Spacing : 30 cm between plants
?? Watering : Moderate, well-drained soil
?? Maintenance : Remove faded flowers to prolong flowering

Thanks to its rapid growth and great hardiness , borage reseeds spontaneously , returning each year without effort.

Use and special features

?? An asset for the vegetable garden and biodiversity
Attracts bees and pollinators , while repelling slugs and Colorado potato beetles .

?? Edible and decorative
Its star-shaped flowers enhance salads, desserts and cocktails , and its young leaves are eaten raw or cooked.

?? An excellent green fertilizer
Its roots improve soil structure and its leaves can be used as nutritious mulch .