Borage seeds?

Marc, I'll take a bite soon and let you know.

I look forward to your report!

Seriously, unless it tastes less than good, it seems the kind of plant people might dedicate many squares to. If they like salads, that is.

Marc Iverson wrote:I understand everything on the plant is edible, but I always see people talking about borage attracting bees, not being delicious.  Does anyone eat it -- and like it? 

They say the flowers have a cucumber flavor and they really do.  The flowers are tasty and look neat--a nice unexpected thing to throw into a salad.  I don't grow more than one plant any more--much easier to control the flowers, which as others have said will self-sow like no other.  I grow it for looks and for the bees and keep the flower heads pulled before seeding.  I haven't eaten the other parts--the leaves get fairly fuzzy/hairy--so I never tried one, maybe I'll try one this summer.

Ah, maybe that's it, then? The fuzziness of the leaves is off-putting?

I guess I can't think of any other fuzzy food people eat, except peaches, and they are not very fuzzy. But fuzziness does stand out as something that would make people hesitate to put a food in their mouths. Won't stop me from eating a peach, though!

At any rate I am looking forward to the bees and the visual zing of putting some of the flowers in salads.

Just found a blog talking about eating the leaves. Borage: It's what's for dinner

And now I must really stop procrastinating with spring dreams and go to work!   

Ah, the "prickles vanish on cooking"! Good link, thanks.

I've read about the liver thing, but the toxicity seems low. There are other plants we eat that have low levels of toxins or potentially toxic substances in them -- heck, people have died from drinking too much carrot juice -- but can take so much prolonged or concentrated ingestion that it's not a serious worry. From the database that is itself quoted in the link provided above, at http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Borago+officinalis:

"These alkaloids are present in too small a quantity to be harmful unless you make borage a major part of your diet"

It would be nice to know how much is too much, but then again, I don't know how many carrots are too much, either. It's naturally limiting for me, because there's only so many I can eat.

I read you can candy the flowers.....doesn't that sound neat?.....I think it would be fun for me and the kids to try this during the summer.....if we end up doing it I will post some pics and let ya all know how they taste   

think how pretty they would be on top of a cupcake or even frozen in ice cube trays and then served with some lemon aid .....fun

happy gardening
rose.....who wants to learn more about eating flowers  

Yeah, that all sounds pretty neat-o. I love the ice-cube idea.

Borage+lemonade+vodka?

Last summer, I had a very refreshing cocktail featuring cucumber and vodka....

The ice cube thing sounds like it would be an especially showy and elegant surprise in a clear drink, like a vodka tonic or gin & tonic. Or in a Midori cocktail, good match of colors and clarity!

Here are 2 Borage seedlings i potted a couple weeks ago and 2 that were planted Friday and Sat morning.  They are turning from a yellow-green to a gorgeous grey-green.  Cat grabs a snack now and then!  I plan on setting the pots next to boxes that have plants that need pollinating.

This being a warm day (for a change!), I think I'll go outdoors and plant three borage seeds.  If one grows and becomes a plant, that's all I'll need.

I'll need more than that, not for myself necessarily (never eaten it before -- who knows if I'll even like the taste?) but for the bees! Partly to be nice and partly because I'm a known bee-abuser, who uses them to pollinate my garden.

I haven't planted mine yet; it's still occasionally dipping down to freezing temps. Keep us up on your borage adventures, sanderson! I want to see how you do and if borage turns out as well for you as people say it does, bee-wise and etc.

I've been looking for borage seeds and can't find any!  Any suggestions?

I purchased mine from Johnny's last year.

My packet is from Botanical Interests, off the rack at my local grange.

AtlantaMarie - Pike's Nursery sells Botanical Interest seeds.  You could probably find some there.

I bought the Borage seeds from Baker Creek. www.rareseeds.com

If you don't have their catalog, order one. You will drool over it.   

Saw some at Whole Foods today.

Sanderson - I've got the Baker Creek catalog.  You're right - DROOL!  They were even nice enough to send me the new big $8 one at no charge since I'll be using it in my classes.  (I'll have to look back thru it...)

No Pikes nearby and Whole Foods is about 25 miles.  (I ASKED them to build one up here!  This would be such a great area for them!)

Thanks guys!  And thanks Windmere for offering to mail me some!

sanderson wrote:Here are 2 Borage seedlings i potted a couple weeks ago and 2 that were planted Friday and Sat morning.  They are turning from a yellow-green to a gorgeous grey-green.  Cat grabs a snack now and then!  I plan on setting the pots next to boxes that have plants that need pollinating.

Hi Sanderson,

I was looking at the back of my seed packed from Botanical Interests, and it says that seeds do not transplant well.  From the above, they clearly do.  Was there anything special you did/used for transplanting?

Since I have other bee-attractant plants (clover, flowering plum, dandelions (!), digitalis, and some others), I think one borage plant should suffice.  Remember, they reproduce prodigiously.  

Also, the bees went crazy for my blooming arugula and basil last summer.  This year, I'm considering planting some monarda.

Windmere, I am very gentle for what ever size transplant I'm working with.  I feel like I've done micro-surgery by the time I'm all done!  I successfully up-potted lupine from vermiculite to MM in seedling pot, and that is supposed to hate transplanting.

If I'm separating 2 seedlings into separate seedling pots, I gently separate the roots, letting them "shake out," and trim ends if needed.  I use Mel's pencil to widen a little deep hole and guide the fragile roots into the hole.  I push the Mix towards the roots with the pencil and then back fill the sides of the pot, not the top.

The Borage seeds were started directly in MM in 2 1/4" x 3" pots.  Then whole pot full was gently set in scooped out hole in it's final home pot.  I push the mix in the pot back towards the sides of the transplant instead of piling it back on top so I'm not disturbing its roots.

If the soil falls off the roots when it comes out of the little green pot, I trim long roots to depth of pot and make a deep opening and gently guide the roots into the hole with a pencil.  Again, I push soil back towards roots.

I hope this helps.  From the color changes I noted in the Borage from new seedling (dark grey-green), to mature seedling (yellow with green veins), to planted (back to dark grey-green), I think they may be heavy feeders.

Here are three stages:  mature seedling, recently transplanted, established transplanted

donnainzone10 wrote:Since I have other bee-attractant plants (clover, flowering plum, dandelions (!), digitalis, and some others), I think one borage plant should suffice.  Remember, they reproduce prodigiously.  

Also, the bees went crazy for my blooming arugula and basil last summer.  This year, I'm considering planting some monarda.

You say they reproduce prodigiously -- do you find them invasive? Should I be concerned about planting them somewhat randomly around the house instead of just in a container, or just in a raised bed or two?

Marc, That's what I read previously, so I planted in containers.