What herbs are you going to grow this spring?
How do you grow them?
Where do you plant them?
What are their medicinal benefits?
Are their cautions?
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No garden is complete without borage, especially if you want to attract bees. Considering that our bee population is discouragingly low, attracting these amazing pollinators is a must. Of course, you could hand pollinate every single plant using a cotton swab. I would rather depend upon bees.
Both leaves and flowers are edible. Since it tends to spread by seed throughout your garden, you can harvest the small “volunteer” plants in the spring and add them to your salads and sandwiches. They have pleasant slightly cucumber-like flavor.
A secondary name for borage is “star flower” because of the unique shape of its blue flowers. Add a flower to ice cubes when you make your summertime drinks. It’s a lovely addition.
How do you grow them?
Borage works best when it is started directly in your garden after all danger of frost is past. Know your hardiness zone. Do not start plants indoors and transplant. It has a rather large taproot and does not like being transplanted. But you can grow borage in 12-inch by 12-inch pots inside then place the pots outside when the weather permits, which works for zones 3 and below.
Established plants need very little care. They are drought tolerant. So if you have a dry spell when it’s not raining or the irrigation supply is somehow cut off, a bit of hand watering will get you through the dry time.
Where do you plant them?
Choose a place that gets full sun, at least 6 hours of direct sun. It needs loose, well-drained soil. And the plants need to be spaced 12-18 inches apart. Borage it can grow in denser soil with clay content. But you will need to keep adding compost and green manure to get the soil to work best for borage. I have a clay-based soil in my gardens, which I’m always amending. It prefers a pH balance of 6.0 to 7.0. One established, borage requires no fertilizer. But it does appreciate an addition of compost in the spring and a bit of a blanket of mulch, like dry leaves, in the fall before the first frost.
To keep those lovely star-shaped flowers coming, deadhead the old ones to encourage new growth.
You can harvest both leaves and flowers, but harvest the leaves before they begin bristling. You’ll want tender, young leaves.
You don’t need, neither do you want, a row of borage plants. They make ideal companion plants for tomatoes, squash and strawberries. So plant them alongside your favorite vegetables. They add color, depth, attract pollinators, and even deter some harmful insects.
It is said that planting borage among your strawberries actually makes them taste better. While true, it’s probably because it feeds certain minerals into the soil that the strawberries love, sort of like the way legumes feed nitrogen into your soil.
Medicinal Benefits of Borage.
- Anti-inflammatory
- Respiratory issues
- Skin disorders
- Hormonal issues
- Anxiety and stress
- Kidney function
- Restores strength after convalescence
Anti-inflammatory
If you have inflammation issues (and if you’re overweight, you DO have inflammation issues), such as arthritis and joint pain, a cup of borage tea will help relieve that. That’s due to its gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and antioxidant content.
- Respiratory Issues
If you have cold symptoms, borage tea will help. It helps to reduce fever because it’s rich in antioxidants. It also has diaphoretic qualities, meaning it induces sweating, which also helps lower fevers. You may want to make a strong borage tea for use as an expectorant.
It’s a natural expectorant, meaning it brings up phlegm, which is great if you have a bout of bronchitis. But because it helps with coughs, it helps with asthma. It is not an asthma cure, however.
- Skin Disorders
Because it’s an anti-inflammatory, an infused borage oil eases the pain and irritation of eczema, psoriasis, and other dermatitis problems. It actually helps repair skin tissue. Good to know!
- Hormonal Issues
New moms will be pleased to know that borage helps produce mother’s milk. At the same time, it eases the symptoms of menopause – a great combination!
- Anxiety and Stress
Is life giving you a difficult time and you just need a bit of relief? Kick back and sip a nice cup of borage tea, and let your mind and body relax. Borage even works as a sleep aid, so maybe a cup of tea before bed is what you need.
- Kidney Function
If you have decreased kidney function, you may need a diuretic. Borage is a mild way to help with that. It has also been known to ease urinary tract infections. Remember, however, to drink lots of water when taking a diuretic. The production of urine flushes out waste and toxins, something you need to help your kidneys.
- Restores Strength After Convalescence
When your body has been overworked because of an illness, treat yourself to a daily cup of borage tea for a while. Don’t just gulp down your tea.
Borage Tea
1 teaspoon of dried borage leaves and flowers
1 cup hot water, or a little more if you want a weaker tea.
Let it steep for 10-20 minutes.
May serve with a touch of honey if desired.
Strong Borage Tea
2 teaspoons of dried borage leaves and flowers
1 cup hot water
Let it steep for 10-20 minutes.
May serve with a touch of honey if desired.
Infused Borage Oil
(Instructions are used with permission by the author in a previously published book.)
Fill a clean glass jar about 2/3 to 3/4 full of fresh leaves and flowers.
Fill the glass jar with with a carrier oil such as coconut oil or other vegetable oils, completely submerging the fresh leaves and flowers.
Cap tightly.
Set in a dark place for 4-6 weeks, poking a clean knife blade into the oil to release air bubbles daily for the first week.
Strain the oil through a tea strainer into another clear bottle or jar.
Throw away the plant material.
Cap and store the bottle with the infused oil in a dark place.
Remember to label your jar with the contents of the jar, complete with the date.
Are their cautions?
There may be cautions regarding women who are pregnant or nursing. It depends on where you get your information. One source says that breastfeeding women should not take borage. This is a quote from Healthline.com: “Keep in mind that the borage plant also contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which are compounds that can be toxic to the liver and may contribute to cancer growth.” However, in the research I’ve done, that result involves drinking high volumes of borage tea. A separate cancer study indicates that borage contains anticancer properties. Who do you believe?
Consider your sources. AI is providing an increasing amount anti-natural medical advice. They tend to follow the pharmaceutical line of thought.
Remember, the current pharmaceutical industry’s advice recommended that pregnant women take the shot, which caused in increase in miscarriages.
What herbs are you going to grow this spring?
How do you grow them?
Where do you plant them?
What are their medicinal benefits?
Are their cautions?
Was this helpful? There is much more to come!
SUBSCRIBE!
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