How to grow and care for your borage plant

Spring is soon approaching and its time to start sowing your borage seeds. Borage is a beautiful edible plant, also known as the bee flower and originates from the Mediterranean region. It has many benefits for both you and the environment. The oils from the plant are used in a range of medicines and the plant makes a fantastic natural habitat for bees, in addition to adding bright vibrant colour to your garden.

How to grow borage?

Planting

Borage is an easy to grow plant. We recommend sowing your seeds early spring. You can sow your seeds in almost any environment, in plant pots, greenhouses, indoors or naturally in the garden. Borage seeds thrive on a garden/house wall. Depending on the environment you choose may affect how big your borage plant will grow. Controlled planting conditions in plant pots or indoors will see smaller amounts of flowers then naturally in a garden. Borage originates from the Mediterranean region, so it is a garden gem for areas with poor soil that drains well. The borage plant prefers sun but will also grow in shaded areas. 

Growing

You will soon start to see the borage plant germinating fairly quickly. Most seeds will happily continue to grow own their own. However, if inside or there is hot weather you will need to water the plant daily.  

Caring

If left to grow naturally, the borage flower will tend to grow wildly and once planted it will continue to self-seed, so be prepared for a reoccurring appearance of borage year on year. But remember the plant makes a great habitat for bees, so the more borage the better! If the borage is left unattended, the plant can grow big, up to a couple of feet. You will also find the flowers will begin to will droop; this is natural. To stop the mass amounts of borage taking over your garden, we recommended occasionally harvesting the plant, trimming some of the new tender leaves and flowers, these can be used in salads or as drinks garnish. Borrago has a refreshing cucumber taste and is high in minerals and vitamins. Click here to see all the great things you can do with borage.

Overall the borage plant is an easy plant and needs a small amount of attention to control the growth of the plant. It provides a great habitat for the bees and adds vibrant colours to your garden. The perfect spring/summer plant.

Companies have noticed this wonderful plant. Borrago a non-alcoholic spirit brand is named after the borage flower, which is why you often see Borrago non-alcoholic drinks garnished with the pretty borage flower. The borage flower embodies everything Borrago non-alcoholic drinks stand for. It is colourful, with its bright purply flower (Borrago’s brand colour), it is natural, delicious and it is easy for anyone to grow, so very inclusive. And lastly the flower reminds the team at Borrago of celebration, as it pops up in the summer when the sun is out and you pop it in your drinks for a celebration.

As outcome to the above, Borrago gives away a free pack of borage seeds with every bottle of Borrago #47 Paloma Blend non-alcoholic spirit they sell. You can order the set here. Borrago has given over 400,000 packs of seeds and will continue to do so. You can also email katie@borrago.com for a pack of borage seeds.