All of my borage plants have burst forth with blooms! Some of them have been pink, but this one is unique.

Very Pretty

Wow that is something very unique! very pretty too!!

A note about comfrey; It has fat pink roots that are rather slimy if mashed. a healing thing for minor cuts and bruises, I have a story but I am not a doctor so I won't say, but it's a very good healing poultice, EXTERNALLY. Eating the plant can cause damage. The active substance is Alantoin.

My three plants were eaten to the ground by a groundhog, and still grew, over and over.

Hmm, now I want some Borage. Had some long ago, and it's delightful in every way.

That is very interesting coconut. I am surely even more determined to grow comfrey!

When I ordered three root cuttings, I recieved three tiny shriveled bits, about two inches long, by1/2 an inch thick. I said, "pffft" and put one each at the end of three rows of other things. Forgot about them until one day I noticed the big leafy plants that'd sprung up.

Very fond of both plants...

I'm new to this, too. Is borage fragrant? How long is it's bloom time?

Karen

I don't think borage is fragrant, but it seems to bloom for a long time. Mine are still going strong. The bees were really working the blooms over this morning when I was out, but I wasn't able to get a good, clear pic of one of them on the flowers.

How do I collect seeds??

The borage leaves only have a scent of cucumber when crushed. I love that the blooms last a long time.

Now collecting the seeds is a bit tricky I think. They are known to shatter at a moment notice. Each flower produces four brownish-black seeds that can be harvested when mature.

Patti, would you mind sharing with us your seed collecting success?

I just harvested some and took a few pictures. Hope this helps. I pinched a lot of the spent flower heads and only a few had seeds in them. You have to check every day, you can get lucky This is one of my favorite herbs because it blooms for such a long time and the bees LOVE it so be careful. The plant is kind of prickly and while I am out messing with it and bees are buzzing around me every once in a while I freak myself out thinking I have been stung, but it is only the plant poking at me.
The bees make me a little jumpy

Fantastic Patti! Those pictures will be very helpful. Thank you so much

I will remember that when I'm in the garden handling the borage! Those big bumble bees can make me nervous too when they fly by my head!!

Those bees sound like bombers!

Do you let the seeds finish ripening once you've picked the off the spent flower head?

I just put them in a paper lunch bag or a envelope depending on how many I have and label it. I am not sure how long it takes them to dry because I usually forget about them for a couple of months until things slow down in the garden.

LOL!! That's my normal seed collecting method!

Good to know I am not alone in my method of seed collecting

Well, I usually don't label the bag because I just "know I'll remember"!! Ummm...not so much!

Been there, done that! I always think that I will remember because who doesn't know what borage looks like, right? Well, borage might be recognizable freshly harvested but it looks like any number of seed heads when it is all dried up

thank you for the article, Christine, and patti for directing me to it!
isaac

Well you are welcome! Thank you so much for reading my article.

And thank you Patti for remembering it was here!!

It was very interesting, and gave me some new ideas!!