Borage - 'Starflower' - Borago officinalis L
Singing the mid-summer blues in the salad days of the allotment garden of Nowhere in particular
This is an odd specimen of a 'starflower' with which to introduce that plant to 'the allotment garden of Nowhere in particular' - a veritable babel of plants. Ordinarily the flowers of 'Borage' have 5 petals whereas that particular inflorescence has 4 petals. Perhaps those blue parts are not actually the petals. Never mind though, for the intense blue of the flowers, seen by me yesterday for the first time, brought some cheer on yet another cool, wet, lack lustre June day. I have been watching this plant for a while and I've admired its progress amidst so many other plants which have faltered in the unseasonably cool and wet weather of late.
This plant, purportedly, has the nutritional properties and potential to make people glad and merry, to comfort our hearts, dispel melancholia and inspire courage; a very worthy member of any idyllic place or Nowhere in particular. The plant will attract and provide forage for many insects and also for humans who might like to harvest the flowers and young leaves for salads and other culinary uses. Another flavour for salads to come.
Comments
Post a Comment