Borage Seeds - Classic Blue

• Pack size: 60 seeds
• Time to germination: 7 - 14 days
• When to sow: March – August
• Spacing: 60cm
• Soil preference: Broad tolerance prefers poor soils
• Light preference: Full sun, part shade

How to grow Borage Classic Blue from seed

A great trick to speed the germination of your borage seeds is to refrigerate for two weeks prior to planting out in spring. This easy to grow herb benefits from surface sowing so simply scatter your seeds where you would like them and thin successively as space is needed.

Blue Borage as a companion plant.

Borage, a close relative of comfrey, makes an excellent companion.  It accumulates minerals and nutrients in its tissues which can then be used as a weed suppressing mulch around your veg. This also helps to retain water and feed the soil as it decomposes.  

Its pretty blue star shaped flowers are an excellent attractant to beneficial pollinators and its lush growth shades the soil providing habitat to parasitic wasps hoverflies and other winged predators of garden nasties such as aphids. Borage also makes a good neighbour  when planted on the south side of leafy greens who prefer partial shade or are prone to bolting in the summer heat. A good match with members of the squash family and strawberries.

Borage in the kitchen

This amazing herb has both edible flowers and nutritious leaves. Its flavour is reminiscent of cucumber and young green leaves, best enjoyed sautéed, are a nutritional power-house high in vitamins A, C niacin and iron. The star shaped blue flowers are great floated on cocktails, frozen into ice cubes or as a garnish on salads or deserts.

In the vase

Borage makes an attractive cluster in the vase, Not always as the main attraction but a very worth wile back up and space filler. Strip the lower leaves off, blanch in boiling water then stand in a vase with room temperature water for a lovely display.

We don’t encourage the use of floral preservatives at grow sow greener. These preservatives are often made up of heavy metals, germicides and fungicides and are less that great for the environment! Rather we encourage you try the following recipe. Mix 1 tablespoon sugar with a ¼ tablespoon of bleach in 3.5 litres of water for a greener solution.