Every year I try to start something new and this year it was borage and am I ever in love. It is edible but even more than that the bees and pollinators love it. It does seem to be gangly and tall though but I read that lots of people plant it like every 2 weeks. Since it supposedly reseeds easily I hope to have lots of it in my future. A great weed to have. I think next year I will plant it throughout my back garden. Anyone else grow it and have tips.
Midweek in the garden and started another hot compost pile from the trimmings of a giant zucchini plant, some borage trimmings, green grass from the lawn, sawdust and straw and manure from the duck house. Another pile to turn daily.
Picking daily blueberries, blackberries, cucumbers, squash and zucchini.
I think the birds picked the few mulberries there were for me.
I did pick the beets and they are on the stove this morning cooking so I can pickle.
Pulled up a zucchini that was getting ratty and will plant one to replace it today.
Set out 9 baby cabbage plants for the fall. Cabbage is a crop here that will grow late into fall. The late cabbage becomes my winter refrigerator kraut fermented and stored in the fridge.
The purple hulls are blooming to beat the band.
I also set out some late petunias, hyssop and zinnias. I noticed some volunteer petunias that have popped up also from last year.
Temperatures are running in the mid to high eighties here and we got a 2 inch rain just a couple days ago. This is the traditional "dry" season for this area though. I did notice down in Knoxville they have about a week of 90's predicted. Even though it is hot and humid we are thankful because it seems half the country is suffering from drought or burning up in fires. So we are counting our own blessings and praying for those not so fortunate.
Just another hot summer here in Hickery Holler with the old people, the garden, the chickens and ducks, three old dogs and one fuzzy duckling. Lots of birds, bees and butterflies and too many Japanese beetles. Sure wish I could find something to eat those beetles. Those ducks won't touch them. They will eat them slimy snails like they are chocolate but won't touch the beetles. Crazy ducks!!
Stay cool everyone.
Blessings from The Holler
The Canned Quilter
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I love borage! I dehydrate the leaves and add them to stew or pot roast. They don't lend a real flavor but seem to meld the other flavors together. It will end up everywhere. I was concerned that I wouldn't have any when we moved here. I had a couple very old seeds and planted them. I am pulling it like a weed this year - 2 years later :-) I hope you love it too.
ReplyDeleteI love planting things that the bees and butterflies like. I don't mind volunteers at all! If I don't want t there I will just pull it.
DeleteI grew it at our old house. I grew it along a chain link fence and tied it up to keep it from falling over. I love it and have seeds to plant it here, but didn't get it in. Next year, for sure. I am not sure of medicinal qualities of it, but I grew it for the bees. And the bees and butterflies love it. I think it's just a pretty flower and I like something I don't have to fuss over, that reseeds itself. I hope you enjoy it for many years to come!
ReplyDeleteDarlene
I am in the same frame of mind Darlene. I don't mind that cottage garden look with flowers kind of flopping around and looking a bit unkept. I also love the reseeding flowers.
DeleteI planted borage for the first time this year. I did it for the pollinators :)
ReplyDeleteI don't love the way it looks, mine always looks kind of dead, but I'm happy to have it for the bees.
In this heat I look kind of dead out in the garden myself Lol
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