Why does my borage flop sideways?

Three usual causes. (1) Rich soil — borage gets lush and floppy in heavy feeding. It actually grows tighter and more upright on poor soils. (2) Wind in an exposed garden — stake or grow through a plant support placed early. (3) End of season — old borage plants get long and sprawling after 4 months; cut them back to 15 cm in mid-summer for a second flush of compact growth, or just let them go to seed and rely on the next generation.

Are borage flowers really edible?

Yes — and they're one of the classic edible UK garden flowers. The sky-blue star-shaped flowers have a faint cucumber flavour and are completely safe in normal culinary quantities. Float on Pimm's (the traditional use), freeze whole inside ice cubes, scatter on salads, candy with caster sugar for cake decoration. The whole flower including the dark central cluster is edible — pick fully-open flowers in the morning when nectar is at its peak.

How do I stop borage taking over my garden?

Cut flower heads off before seeds set — late September is the critical window. A single un-deadheaded borage produces hundreds of seedlings. Even with diligent deadheading, some seeds will escape, so weed out unwanted seedlings in spring (they're easy to pull when small). For total control, dig out the parent plant before any flowers set seed — its long taproot needs the spade. Most UK gardeners accept a permanent borage presence and just manage the population by weeding seedlings each spring.

Will borage survive a UK winter?

No — it's an annual. Each plant lives one season (April-sown plants die in October, autumn-sown plants overwinter as small rosettes and bolt the following spring). But borage self-seeds so prolifically that the colony perpetuates indefinitely without any work from you. Hardy enough as seedlings: autumn-germinated seedlings survive most UK winters as small rosettes and flower earlier the following year than spring-sown plants.

Can I dry borage flowers?

Not really — they lose their colour and structure fast. The sky-blue fades to dusty mauve within days of picking. Better preservation methods: freeze whole flowers in ice cubes (perfect for cocktails), or candy with egg white and caster sugar (which sets the colour and the flower shape). Fresh flowers keep 1–2 days in a sealed container in the fridge.

Is it true borage was the herb of courage?

Yes — historic herbal lore, from at least the Greek period. Borage was traditionally added to wine to dispel melancholy and give courage; the phrase borage for courage appears in herbals from the Roman to the Tudor era. Modern science doesn't strongly support a specific stimulant effect, but borage is mildly diuretic and contains trace amounts of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), with some adaptogenic claims. The courage reputation likely came from the cooling, refreshing effect on a hot day combined with wine.

Bourrache

Borago officinalis

Sow borage direct from April to June, in any sunny spot in ordinary garden soil — it's one of the easiest hardy annuals to grow, with bristly cucumber-flavoured leaves and striking sky-blue star-shaped flowers from June through to October. Borage is reasonably hardy (RHS H4) and self-seeds prolifically: once you have one borage, you have borage for ever. The flowers are extraordinary for bees — bumblebees in particular work them obsessively — and edible (a Pimm's classic, scattered on salads, frozen in ice cubes). The young leaves taste of cucumber and can be added to summer drinks and salads in small amounts, though the bristles make them rough on the tongue. Don't transplant — long taproot resents disturbance, sow direct. Eat in moderation; borage contains low levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can affect the liver in large quantities.

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