One of the things I love about a Florida winter is that the Borage will grow. Borage is a fuzzy-leafed, blue-flowering plant. Its leaves make a delicious tea. The little flowers are blue, or sometimes pink, and star-shaped. They can be used in salads and ice cubes.
Saved borage seeds, from last winter, were planted in the yard this Fall. The borage really began to take off in January. Now, in February, it is getting leafy and some of the plants are showing off lots of flowers. The flowers attract honey bees.
(All photos on this page are my own and are not free to use.)
Borage likes the cool weather. It wilts in the sun on hot days. Soon I will be collecting some seeds from the early flowering plants.
At this time of year it can be cold or hot. We had a very cold January, but February has been very warm with temps near 80 during the day (in the sun).
I have been picking, rinsing and drying borage leaves to freeze. The plants won’t last once the weather is consistently hot.
Borage can be grown among vegetables to keep unwanted pests away. The leaves are very hairy and prickly.
Borage is a medicinal herb (read more here). I pick the leaves fresh and make tea. The seeds are rather large and are easy to save, if they can be found before dropping from the pod.
The bees are also on the newly flowering red Lantana. I planted this red one and two others (yellow and dark red) last year. This is the only one doing well. The Lantana will still grow and bloom in the heat. When the Borage has gone by, the bees will have other flowers to visit.
More Garden Stories
My newer posts are from my Florida gardening experiences. Any stories with snow were created when I lived in New Hampshire.
Thank you for sharing!
Hydrangeas Blue 