Borage - The Star Flower


Summer is on its way, and those of us who like to mark the season with a glass of Pimms might have come across a small blue flower floating about in there. Borage is the traditional garnish for this drink, although in recent times it has become buried under a mass of citrus fruits and cucumber. The last time I bought a Pimms and Lemonade in a pub I was hard-pressed to get to the drink!

Borage is also known as the Starflower because of its shape, and as well as being a pretty and bee-friendly addition to the flower border it has long been used in the kitchen and the medicine cabinet. Starflower capsules have been marketed as an alternative to evening primrose oil - a supplement taken by many women to help control PMS symptoms. There may be a connection here with the anti-depressant properties attributed to it in the past. The 16th century herbalist John Gerard wrote:

"Those of our time do use the flowers in salads to exhilarate and make the mind glad."

I have had borage in my garden every summer for several years now. I only bought one packet of seed, but such is ease with which it self-seeds I have never had to buy any more. As I write this, April is giving way to May, and I think I have spotted the first seedlings emerging in random locations throughout the garden. By July, there will be clusters of nodding flowerheads, besieged by drunken bees who adore borage nectar.

Following the lead of our 16th century ancestors, I also add the flowers to salads. They have a faint taste of cucumber and also contain fibre and B vitamins, as well as adding a dash of new colour to offset the greens and reds. I also freeze the flowers in ice cubes to add to my Friday night G&T, so that I can pretend that I'm being healthy. You can eat the young leaves of the plant - although when they get to a certain size they become prickly and a bit of an irritant.

In her book, "A Modern Herbal", Alys Fowler says that she dries the flowers to add to cereals or to use in baking. Pick the flowers in the morning and put them on a clean tea towel somewhere warm but not in direct sunlight. By the end of the day the flowers should feel like paper and they can then be stored in an airtight container.

Borage is related to comfrey and it can also be used to brew a plant food. Using gloves, I pick the whole plant when the flowers have gone over and soak it in a bucket of water. After straining, the remaining liquid can be diluted in your watering can and poured over your plants.

Pretty, tasty, useful and healthy - I urge you to invest in a packet of borage seeds - they will bring you joy every year.


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