ABC Wednesday

The letter this week is B

and following the flower theme I have chosen  Borage to represent the letter B.




An ‘umble ‘erb, but one of my favourites because of its gorgeous colour, its cool and refreshing taste of cucumber when made into a summer tea, and its great attraction for Bees, who buzz around the bountiful plants in great delight.  And they are bountiful, – if you have one Borage plant you will soon have a dozen.  They are an annual plant, but they self seed easily and prolifically.  In our garden on 10th Avenue the number of star-like blooms  challenged the numbers of stars in the heavens, I’m sure!!

I offer you an excerpt from Sir Google that sings the praises of this friendly herb.

 

“Borage Flower Essence aligns strongly with the Heart chakra.  It works directly and powerfully to clear the debris we no longer require.   This clearing results in increased Space in the Heart, particularly to let in new Awareness around Close, Loving relationships, enabling stronger connections and feels of Confident Love.  Borage offers a strong sense of hope and confidence for those times when we feel discouraged and want to shrink away from situations and people.  This essence also offers Calm and allows tensions to soften.  Borage acts as a Heart Tonic, re-awakening feelings and capacities to make loving connections, especially when they have felt risky”
 

In the garden they are a good companion for tomatoes, squash and strawberries.
 

They are even supposed to deter tomato hornworms, which would not have pleased some of our boys when they were youngas they were great gatherers of the Mighty Hornworm, and I once even found a bucketful in the same bed as our youngest son!.

 

If you are going to use the leaves of Borage for tea or salads or sandwiches pick them when the plant is young as the older leaves and stems get quite prickly.  Plants can be pinched or pruned to encourage branching and more tender foliage.

 

When frozen in ice cubes the starry blooms make most attractive additions to iced tea or you could even try a Borage Julep.

 

As with all edible flowers, use sparingly until you know how they affect you.  Borage is said to have a mild laxative effect.

 

For more interesting interpretations of the letter B click here to visit ABC Wednesday, and thanks to all those associated with this great meme.