Borage for Courage!

 


   

I'm growing Borage this year for the first time in several, mainly because I love blue flowers!  Borago officinalis has many uses in the garden, such as protecting tomatoes from the dreaded Tomato Hornworm; in cooking, by using the young leaves in salads for a slight cucumbery flavor or slightly older leaves prepared as any other "greens" (don't use old leaves though because they are tough and bristley); or in cocktails/punch bowls with the delightful blue flowers frozen into ice cubes!!!   These beautiful little blue flowers can also be used to decorate cakes and cookies.  Gather the blossoms on a clear, sunny day; dip them in slightly beaten egg white, then sugar, and dry them.  Store in an airtight tin in a cool place, until ready to use.  When I was a child, we used to do this with Violas and Pansies - makes any cake "special"!!   

Research on "the Borage story" indicates that an ancient Greek proverb "I, Borage, bring always Courage" might have been the basis of a curious tradition in the days of the Crusades.  As the crusaders marched off to battle, their sweethearts bade them farewell by placing the star-shaped blossom of the borage in their wine cups.  Off they went, full of courage and vigor, since borage was also believed to dispel depression, without the side effects!!  

Officially an annual, Borage will usually self-seed readily, so you might find lots of volunteer seedlings popping up through the summer and into the next spring.  Bees go crazy for Borage, hence one of its several common names Bee Bread, and make a very tasty honey from it.  It is also known as Common Bugloss and Starflower.  It grows up to 2 feet high, covered in prickly hairs and is somewhat unruly.  Give it space.  The branched stems are hollow and succulent.  The flowers appear in drooping clusters.  

Borage has been used for centuries as a remedy for many ailments and research is ongoing about its properties.  As always, exercise caution, especially as nowadays there seems to be a school of thought that it may be harmful in large doses.  "Everything in Moderation"!!!    




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